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Olly Murs says scrutiny of his physique is “disappointing” and “absolutely madness” after pictures of his body before and after a fitness regime prompted a flood of reactions online and in the media.

Social media users and newspaper columnists have been offering opinions about whether the English singer and presenter looked better before or after.

Thanking fans following his gig in Dublin on Tuesday, the star responded on a video posted on his Instagram story, admitting it had been “a weird day”.

“I don’t know if you guys have been on social media, but there’s loads of weird stuff being wrote about me, about my body and stuff,” he noted. “Absolutely madness.”

He continued: “But anyway, moving on. Thank you for cheering me up.”

On Wednesday, Murs shared a photo of a Daily Mail article dissecting his transformation from having a “huggable dad bod” to a more muscular physique.

The article suggested that, despite his efforts in the gym, women actually preferred the former.

“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,” Murs posted in his Instagram caption.

“So it’s very disappointing to see this kind of reporting!”

He signed off by sending love to “everyone who’s been kind” as well as “anyone out there improving themselves and making adjustments to their wellbeing”, urging them to “keep it up” and “ignore the noise!”

The media articles followed much online discussion about a poll that had been conducted on X, which found that although male users generally thought Murs looked better after his fitness regime, women generally said they preferred his previous figure.

The 40-year-old from Essex rose to fame on the X Factor – a show he later presented – and went to have hits with tracks like Troublemaker, Dance With Me Tonight and Up.

The singer-songwriter-turned-TV personality also appeared as a judge on The Voice and as a player at Soccer Aid, and now hosts a Saturday morning show on Heart Radio alongside fellow celebrity Mark Wright.