Olly Murs had the audience at the AO Arena Manchester sobbing last night after he paid tribute to his late friend, Caroline Flack.
The Heart Skips a Beat singer is best-known for his upbeat pop songs but took the time to honour his former friend with an emotional tribute.
He dedicated an acoustic version of Sweet Caroline to the presenter, who died in 2020.
Speaking to the crowd, Olly urged people to check in on anyone they thought might be struggling, saying: “Make the effort. Because you might be able to change what they decide to do.”
He described Caroline as ‘an amazing human’ and described her love for music and dancing.
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Olly also said: “The fact that she’s not here any more is horrible. I miss her every single day.”
The star then introduced his version of Sweet Caroline, saying ‘this one’s for you, Caz’.
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Fans who were there have reported sobbing their way through his speech and performance.
One person said: “Olly singing sweet Caroline had me sobbing. Cazza would be so proud of you @ollymurs!”
Another said: “Thank you so much for an amazing night! I cried and cried when you talked about Caroline, I lost my sister in April ’20 and I had tears streaming down my face when you talked about grief and loss. Thank you for a fab show! Good luck at your wedding.”
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As always, what a performance by @ollymurs 🤍 and what a tribute to Caroline Flack. 🌹 Sweet Carolineee Du Du Duuuu 🎶 it’s okay not to be okay, check in on those you know, you never know how someone is feeling on the inside. 😢💔 pic.twitter.com/cw25CTosKR
Someone else posted: “Olly Murs just did an acoustic cover of Sweet Caroline as a tribute to Caroline Flack and sobbed the whole way through it. Genuinely very lovely.”
Olly’s full speech about Caroline Flack said: “One of my good friends, in February 2020, took her own life. Miss Caroline Flack.
“It was a really difficult time for me. And it’s mad, because I was looking through some old Instagrams earlier, some old photos that we’ve got, and we used to spend so much time in Manchester because we used to do loads of filming for X Factor and loads of different things.
“So being here tonight is really really special.
“It was one of the lowest moments of my life. She was such an amazing human. We had our fights, we had our rows, we got on sometimes we didn’t, but she was always such a great person to be around, someone I loved very much.
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Olly Murs just did an acoustic cover of Sweet Caroline as a tribute to Caroline Flack and sobbed the whole way through it. Genuinely very lovely pic.twitter.com/vid6zRipqt
“So the fact that she’s not here any more is horrible. I miss her every single day.
“When you’re dealing with something like that it’s super super tough, and the only way that I could deal with it, with grief my way, is by music – by singing, and performing.
“That’s what she loved to do. You guys must have watched her on Strictly. She was incredible on Strictly, and not only that she was an incredible singer. So I wanted to do something on this tour to dedicate to her, a tribute to my lovely friend Caroline Flack who I miss every single day.
“So I’m going to sing this song for her. Before I sing it, if you know anyone who’s struggling real bad, or even if you don’t know it, if you think something’s not right, please speak to them, please give them a call, go round there and see them, make the effort. Because you might be able to change what they decide to do. Please please do it.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is my version of Sweet Caroline. This is for you, Caz.”
Noah Kahan begs fans to ‘just go to the bathroom’ ahead of Manchester shows
Daisy Jackson
Noah Kahan has had to issue a bizarre warning on concert etiquette ahead of his UK tour, after a fan apparently defecated on the floor at his show.
The Stick Season singer-songwriter, who will headline two massive gigs in Manchester this year, has begged his fans to ‘just go to the bathroom lmao’.
He’s had to speak out after videos circulated online that appeared to show human faeces beneath a chair and in the walkway at one of his US gigs.
According to witnesses at his Philadelphia show, one concert-goer relieved themselves onto the floor, then tried to kick the faeces under the seat in front.
Noah Kahan has now released a statement online that says: “If you have to poop at a show please dear god just go to the bathroom lmao.
“I’ve pooped my pants as much as the next 29 year old but you guys gotta understand there’s a venue worker out there with a 1000 yard stare after dealing with that.”
The star has since gone one step further, and addressed the poop incident on stage in Toronto.
He told fans inside the venue: “This is awkward. When you enter this building, you enter a social contract, right?
“And rule number two besides ‘don’t literally f**king kill each other’, is ‘don’t s**t on the floor’.
“So we’re gonna do some therapy type thing where we all repeat after me, okay?”
He then led the crowd to repeat the following chant: “I solemnly swear, I will not s**t my pants, and if I do, I won’t take it from my pants and put it on the floor.”
Indie legends Two Door Cinema Club announce arena show in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Indie legends Two Door Cinema Club have announced their first arena headline tour in seven years, with a huge night in Manchester.
The group will be celebrating 15 years since the release of their seminal debut album, Tourist History.
And they’ll be playing that album in full, along with some of their greatest hits, when they hit the road next year.
Two Door Cinema Club have included a night at the AO Arena in Manchester on the tour, which will also visit Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow and London.
The trio will be calling on some big names to support them for their five arena gigs – Circa Waves and Arkayla will support in Glasgow, Manchester and London, with The Royston Club joining them for the rest.
Fans can expect to hear timeless indie anthems from Tourist History, including ‘What You Know’, ‘Something Good Can Work’, ‘Undercover Martyn’, and ‘I Can Talk’.
Speaking on the tour, the band said: “It’s been over seven years since we’ve done a UK and Ireland tour.
“Each and every one of these cities holds a special place in our hearts, we’ve played almost every venue there is to play in each of them, now it’s time for the big ones. We can’t wait.”
The news comes off the back of a massive sold-out gig at Crystal Palace Park last week, where they played to 25,000 fans, as well as a headline performance at Madison Square Gardens.
Fan presale will begin from 9am on Wednesday 1 July, before general sale stars on Friday 3 July – you can get tickets HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
6th May 2023 
