'I was on the verge of a breakdown' : Olly Murs' mother reveals her heartache that son Ben has disowned the family over X Factor row

By Jj Nattrass For Mailonline

Published: 06:20 EST, 15 January 2017 | Updated: 03:03 EST, 16 January 2017

Olly Murs' mother has revealed she was left with a broken heart and on the verge of a breakdown after a feud erupted between her two sons.

Vickylynn, 55, says that son Ben, Olly's twin brother, has left her devastated by his decision to disown his family after the singer chose to continue on the X Factor rather than go to his wedding.

In an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, she explained that shock of the rift made her so ill she thought she was on the 'verge of a breakdown'. 

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'My heart is broken': Olly Murs' mother, Vickylynn, 55, has revealed she was left with a broken heart and on the verge of a breakdown after a feud erupted between her two sons

Speaking candidly about the gulf that now separates her twin boys, 32, she said that the feud had left her fearing she had MS (multiple sclerosis).

'It was such a shock it made me ill. I even thought I had MS – I had to use a walking stick because my legs were so weak,' she said. 'I also couldn’t work. I was on the verge of a breakdown.'

But despite Ben's decision to disown his family, she explained she will never stop loving her son. 

Vickylynn explained: 'I’m much better now but my heart is broken. Ben’s broken my heart, and his dad’s, but I will not hear anything against him, I don’t think he understands what he’s done. I’ll go on loving him and sticking up for him until I die.'

Devastated: She says that son Ben, Olly's twin brother, has left her devastated by his decision to disown his family after the singer chose to continue on the X Factor rather than go to his wedding

Olly, who also spoke to the magazine, added: 'We don’t speak to my twin brother and that’s been extremely difficult. Long before X Factor there were problems between Ben and his girlfriend and our family.'

But despite the bad blood between himself, his family and Ben, he added that the 'door’s always open' for his twin to make amends.

After his wedding in 2009, which Olly missed to compete in the X Factor semi-finals, Ben blasted his brother for failing to be his best man.

'I’ll go on loving him and sticking up for him until I die': Said Vickylynn, despite Ben's decision to disown his family over his brother's decision on X Factor  

'We don’t speak to my twin brother and that’s been extremely difficult. Long before X Factor there were problems between Ben and his girlfriend and our family': Said Olly

Speaking to the News Of The World at the time, he said: 'Something was missing and that was Olly. It's clear people like Simon Cowell are more important to him than me.

'He's a self-absorbed sell-out. Our family was torn apart because of The X Factor. Things have got to the point where if I have children, I don't even want Olly to meet them.

'I watch my brother - the same person I shared a womb with - on TV now and it's like I don't even know who he is.'

Olly was competing in the sixth series of X Factor at the time, which saw him place second behind Joe McElderry.

Since then the Essex-born star has gone on to rack up four number one albums and four number one singles in the UK charts. 

A cruel twist of fate? Olly was competing in the sixth series of X Factor in 2009, which saw him miss his brother's wedding in order to perform in the December semi-final

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