Singer drafted in to replace Olly Murs thought offer was ‘wind up’

The Scottish singer drafted in to replace Olly Murs supporting Take That at the last minute has said he thought it was a “wind up” when he was asked to rush to the arena.

Daniel Rooney was plucked from a hotel bar in Glasgow shortly after Murs was forced to cancel his support act at the OVO Hydro on Friday because of transportation problems.

He was asked to fill in by TV presenter Ross King just 30 minutes before the show was due to start, as King was watching Rooney play at the Radisson Hotel opposite the arena.

Rooney told ITV’s Lorraine: “I’m halfway through my set, I’m on my break, I’ve played for about half an hour. Then one of the waiters comes up and he says: ‘Ross King wants to speak to you, he might have a life-changing opportunity for you!’

“Ross comes along with those words: ‘I have an opportunity that’s going to change your life, can you go and support Take That at the Hydro?’

“I’m thinking: Right, who’s trying to wind me up here? But he was telling the truth and I packed up my stuff – I had another half to go, but I said to the restaurant owner: ‘I’ve been asked to play the Hydro, I’ve got to go!’”

King told the programme he has been asked to fill in for Murs but he suggested Rooney instead.

He said: “We ran over and we got there and he went on and he was absolutely amazing. The boys saw him before and after and it was just a lovely moment.

“Daniel, you are such a star. He was so calm. Everything is as you hear in the story. Within 30 minutes we were running across to get to the Hydro. No soundchecks, nothing at all. He was just so unbelievably calm – I take my hat off to him.

“What an incredible talent and I hope you get so many great things out of this.”

Rooney said he is now a “massive” Take That fan, adding: “What a show they put on and it was incredible all the lights and the sound and the guys themselves. I met them before the show and after and they were just brilliant.”

Murs told the programme: “For the young lad to come out from singing in a bar. Imagine that, you’re in a bar 30 minutes beforehand singing to a few hundred people, that’s crazy!

“For him to then go: ‘Right, there’s ten thousand people that need entertaining.’ Fair play to him, that’s amazing. You know what, credit to him.”

On Friday, Murs apologised for cancelling his performance at short notice after he had had flight issues all day.

Murs said he had been at London Heathrow airport from 11am ahead of the show but after “several delays” and an incident with a cabin crew member, the British Airways flight was cancelled.

He later shared a video of himself being driven to Glasgow for his Saturday and Sunday performances.