Olly Murs fans left in tears over 'sad' Who Do You Think You Are

Olly Murs moved his fans to tears as he revealed the heartbreaking story of his great-grandmother during what was called the most emotional episode of "Who Do You Think You Are" that aired on Thursday.

The 40-year-old artist decided to explore his family history, specifically focusing on his paternal great-grandparents from Riga, Latvia. During his research, he found out that they used to be circus performers.

In the beginning of the episode, Olly shared that his grandfather last saw his mother when he was just 12 years old, and this experience had a lasting impact on him throughout his life.

In his search for details about his Latvian great grandmother, Veronika Jankovska, he visited the Salamonska Circus building in Riga.

Olly found out that his great-grandfather, Eduards, had a romantic relationship with Veronika, whom he encountered at the circus, even though he was already married to another woman named Katrine.

Olly Murs brought his fans to tears when he revealed the heartbreaking tale of his great grandmother during what was described as the most emotional episode of Who Do You Think You Are on Thursday.

She passed away in 1988 without any family by her side, even though she had great-grandchildren. She was laid to rest in a grave that has no headstone, and Olly makes a point to go and visit her there.

As the story unfolded, he discovered that 22-year-old Veronika was facing challenges as a young mother. She had to entrust her son, Eduards Jr., to her parents so that she could keep her job at the circus.

When Nazi Germany took over the country, Eduards Jr. fled to Germany by boat with his father and his father's wife. Meanwhile, his mother, Veronica, remained in Latvia.

"World War II really affected my family. Olly remarked, 'I believe Veronica took a courageous step that day when she left her son, fully aware that she might never reunite with him.'"

I really wish my grandfather could have grasped his mother’s choices.

A lot of people from Latvia moved to the UK to fill labor gaps, and that’s how his family settled in Essex.

Sadly, Olly learned that Veronika had spent eight years in a labor camp, and even after she was set free, her efforts to find her son were in vain.

She passed away in 1988 without any family by her side, even though she had great-grandchildren. She was laid to rest in a grave that has no marker, and Olly makes a point to visit it.

In comments on X, fans expressed their feelings, saying: "Olly, I'm in tears. I really believe your granddad is now with your grandma in heaven. They might not have connected during their time on Earth, but I'm sure they're together now, watching over you all—especially you, Amelia, and little Madi. They must be so proud of you."

"World War II significantly affected my family. I believe Veronica's choice that day was incredibly courageous—she left her son behind, fully aware that she might never have the chance to see him again," Olly remarked.

Viewers expressed their feelings on X by saying, "Olly, I'm in tears!"

Some viewers expressed their feelings, saying things like, "It's really moving to see this. I can't believe how tough it must have been to shoot, revealing so much in such a public way. It's both captivating and heartbreaking." Another added, "After just one big glass of red wine, I found myself tearing up over Olly Murs on 'Who Do You Think You Are?'” One fan shared, "Absolutely loved it, Olly! This is the best thing I've watched in ages!" Someone else remarked, "This has to be one of the saddest episodes I've seen; my heart goes out to Veronika." And yet another viewer said, "I’m already in tears."

Earlier that day, Olly talked about the episode with Richard Madeley on Thursday's edition of Good Morning Britain.

Olly shared with the host that he realized his passion for entertainment runs deep in his family, noting that his great grandfather was a circus artist.

He made an appearance on GMB to discuss the show, where they shared a brief video highlighting his accomplishments in music.

After the video ended, host Kate Garraway playfully joked about his popular song "Troublemaker," saying that he must be all grown up now that he’s a new father.

Olly expressed his enthusiasm to the presenters about the prospect of sharing his career journey with his daughter in the future while pictures of his family flashed on the screen.

With a playful grin, Richard remarked, "Just take a look at you! You’ve got an adorable baby and a lovely wife."

"You look amazing, you have an impressive career, and your past work is outstanding. Honestly, I'm kind of envious!"

Olly started to laugh as he responded, "I'll accept that!" Richard then clarified, "What I’m trying to say is that there are times when you should feel fortunate."

In the show "Who Do You Think You Are," Olly found out that his family history includes circus entertainers.

Earlier that day, Olly talked about the episode with Richard Madeley on Thursday's Good Morning Britain.

Olly shared with the host that he realized entertainment was a part of his heritage, as his great grandfather had been a circus performer.

Richard joked with Olly, saying, "You look amazing, you have an impressive career, and your track record is outstanding. It’s almost infuriating!"

He shared on GMB: "I discovered that my great-grandmother, Veronica, was actually a trapeze artist who performed full-time."

She lived in Latvia and often traveled around the Baltic Sea, visiting various countries like Germany and Finland.

They were putting on shows for soldiers, those engaged in conflict, and they were simply there to entertain.

I thought I was the only one with the name Murs getting all the attention, but it turns out Murs was already well-established!