X Factor finalist and Essex boy Olly Murs made a triumphant return to his home county last night - and sang about how he would win the television talent show.

James Hore

X Factor finalist and Essex boy Olly Murs made a triumphant return to his home county and sang about how he would win the television talent show.

Thousands of Olly Murs fans descended on Colchester's Charter Hall as the Witham wonder and his mentor, X Factor supremeo, Simon Cowell arrived for the red carpet spectacular.

Olly, 25, battled his way through to this weekend's final of the popular television show where he is currently the outsider to take the title.

But there was only one winner in the fans' eyes and the shouts and screams proved just how popular the former call centre worker has become.

It was announced this week that Olly will be joined live on stage by pop superstar and former member of Take That, Robbie Williams and that news will have done his chances no harm at all.

Olly took to the stage at Charter Hall to sing three songs, including Come Together by the Beatles.

The crowd went wild as he sang “One thing I can tell you, I'm going to win the X Factor.”

Moments before taking to the stage, Olly had told a packed press conference about how “chuffed” he was to be back in Essex and the buzz he got from hearing people singing and chanting his name.

And talking about this weekend's final, he said: “I feel great about it - the nerves have gone and it's all against all now and hopefully the public will vote for me.”

The former call centre worker spoke about how strange it was to have his friends coming up to him and asking for autographs.

He also spoke of his pride, knowing that where he lives in Witham - Carraways - has affectionately been re-named Ollyways with street parties planned this Sunday should he make the final.”

Olly also said how “bizarre” it had been to have his mentor Cowell sat on his family couch at his home in Witham eating butterscotch Angel Delight.

The one-off show in Olly's home county was only announced on Monday, but the 1,200 free tickets were snapped up within four hours of the event being announced.

Before arriving at Charter Hall last night Olly had gone with Cowell for an emotional reunion at his old school - Notley High, near Braintree.

And Olly, who has a twin brother and an older sister, also took the chance to fly over his home in Witham as Cowell's helicopter was spotted swooping over the town.

This week, his best friend, Lee Phillippo, from Tiptree, told the EADT he still thought Olly was the best all-round choice to win the show, saying his mate was “the complete package”.

The X Factor final show is on this Saturday, with the results show on Sunday evening on ITV.

FOR the 1,200 people lucky enough to get a free ticket to last night's Olly X Factor show, they may well be having their hearing tested this morning.

The shouts and screams inside a packed Charter Hall were not far from deafening as Olly strutted, glided, wriggled and wiggled his way around the stage.

It may have only been a three-song set, but there was more than enough time to see why he won over the X Factor judges at that first audition earlier this summer.

The room was filled with teenage girls screaming for their new hero; posters proclaiming that they would have his babies, or just simply telling him he is a “sausage”.

Olly started with Can you Feel it? and soon had the crowd clapping along with every twist and turn greeted with screams of delight. Come Together by the Beatles was funked up as Olly, spurred on by the reaction, changed the words to pronounce that he would be winning the show this weekend.

And then, it was all back to where it had started as he got stuck into Stevie Wonder's Superstition, showing the moves which brought him to the attention of the nation.

The only boos of the night came when he announced he would only be singing three songs but the smiles were back as he sang about how he had “enjoyed every single minute of this day”.

Olly was dressed head to toe in black for the occasion, but this was no sombre affair.

However, it was the other man in black - his mentor Simon Cowell - who threatened to steal the show, getting a massive reception as he took to the stage.

Born in Essex, Cowell said he felt as though he was “coming home” and his newly adopted county took him to heart.

“This show is about making someone's dreams come true.

“Olly is here today because support from all of you lot, so I want to say thank you and I want you to know that I am going to do everything I can on Saturday so Olly returns here next week as the winner of the X Factor.”

Earlier on the red carpet, Cowell told the EADT his man Olly could win, saying he had a “good chance.”

Olly and Cowell arrived in a Rolls Royce, resisted the temptation of a drive-thru burger at the nearby McDonalds before spending more than 30 minutes talking to fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures as fireworks over the Colchester night sky marked their arrival in Essex - home.

james.hore@eadt.co.uk