Olly Murs wishes he'd met Stacey Solomon before 'The X Factor'.
The 25-year-old Essex boy - who lives near single mum Stacey, 20, from Dagenham - has revealed that if they'd met before the 'X Factor' auditions, they may have got together.
He said: "I'm sure if it wasn't this experience and we met in public, something might happen."
Olly - who has already been linked to a string of beauties since he's been on the ITV show - denies he's in a relationship with Stacey; despite the fact she previously said he is "in love" with her.
He said: "I know! I had a right go at Stacey about that. I was like, 'What do you mean, I love you?' We just love each other as mates. Yeah we hug but it's because we get on really well. She'd down to earth like me.
"She's an attractive girl, don't get me wrong, but I just see her as a friend. It was quite funny seeing it and I said to her 'I never said I loved you!' I do tell it to her all the time but I say it to her as a friend."
Olly - who on Sunday (29.11.09) won a place in the semi finals of the talent show - said it was probably because they were both from Essex they have so much in common.
He added to Star magazine: "We were talking the other day and all the clubs I used to go to in Essex, she's been to pretty much every one. So it's weird we haven't met before.
"It's just one of them things. People are going to put two and two together - she's the only girl in the house, we're both from Essex, so why not put us together?"
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