With his million-dollar smile and thick, luscious hair, no one would argue that British singer Olly Murs, runner-up on the British edition of The X-Factor in 2009, isn't a handsome gent.
However, his physical appearance recently sparked an unexpected viral debate.
A debate which the 40-year-old singer did not appreciate being a part of.
On April 21, Murs's nutritionist from Marriott Nutrition. shared a "before and after" post of the singer following a 12-week "transformation" on his Instagram page.
The two pictures showed an impressive change in Murs's physique. Murs certainly looked handsome and fit in the "before" picture on the left, but displayed impressive six-pack abs and chiseled biceps in the "after" picture on the right.
@greg_thenutritionist also commended Murs in the post for his dedication and determination through the process:
"12 weeks to shredded and pumped!"
"What a privilege to work with @ollymurs , super talented but more so super disciplined in every aspect of his life."
"This was such a great journey and on to the tour we go fuelling him whilst he entertain the world!"
Of course, everyone has an opinion when it comes to physical appearance, as some people prefer a bit of meat on the bones over a six-pack and muscles. That must have occurred to doctoral researcher William Costello, who took Murs's transformation as an opportunity for an online survey.
On his X (formerly Twitter) page @CostelloWilliam, Costello posted a survey, first asking participants if they identified as male or female, then if they preferred the "Please Don't Let Me Go" singer pre- or post-transformation:
Interestingly, male participants in the survey thought Murs looked better in his transformed physique, but female participants seemed to prefer the pre-transformed singer.
X-user @justalexoki had trouble believing that, even going so far as to claim the female participants were "lying" about their decision, in a post that subsequently went viral on X.
@justalexoki's post did not sit well with female X users, most of whom pointed out that men obsess over muscles and abs far more than women do, and emphasized this post illuminated the overarching issue that women's opinions and beliefs are too often discredited by men:
The apparent lack of enthusiasm from women regarding Murs's transformation eventually caught the attention of Daily Mail, which published an article about the X survey, and how female X users seemed to prefer the softer, less defined Murs.
After getting wind of the Daily Mail article, Murs finally addressed his impressive physical transformation as well as the online survey on his Instagram page:
Posting a picture of the Daily Mail article, Murs addressed in the caption how he did not appreciate either the online survey or the Daily Mail's decision to report on it, as he made the physical transformation for personal reasons regarding his own health, not for the opinion or approval of others:
"I wouldn’t normally comment on stuff like this but from what I’ve seen I just want to say that this journey at the start of the year was for many personal reasons and not one of them was to spark a debate and divide opinions."
"So it’s very disappointing to see this kind of reporting!"
Murs also encouraged anyone who wanted to make improvements to their health to go for it, and not worry about what others might have to say.
"Big Love to everyone who’s been kind and to anyone out there improving themselves and making adjustments to their wellbeing."
"Love to you all, keep it up!"
"Ignore the noise!"
Murs's open and classy post received a standing ovation from his Instagram followers (including from TV and stage personality John Barrowman), who applauded him for putting his health and well-being first and appreciated his post-transformation physique:
@ollymurs/Instagram
@ollymurs/Instagram
@ollymurs/Instagram
@ollymurs/Instagram
@ollymurs/Instagram
Murs's wife, Amelia, also joined in the comments, calling out the blatant body shaming her husband received, which she found all the more peculiar considering he got into the best shape of his life:
@ollymurs/Instagram
Also taking part in the comments was a contrite William Costello.
@ollymurs/Instagram
Costello offered an apology, saying his intention with the survey was to offer differences in perception between genders, and not to endorse body shaming:
"Hi Olly!"
"I'm sorry that the poll got so out of hand and took on a life of its own."
"I knew it would reveal sex differences in perception, but I didn't want any derogatory attention levied towards you."
Costello also expressed that he is a fan of the chart-topping singer, and felt he looked great in both pictures:
"I think you look great in both shots, and I'm a fan of your music."
"Keep killing it."
As long as Murs is happy and healthy, that's all that matters.
One can also safely assume that Costello will be a bit more careful with any future surveys he posts online...
