Olly Murs to support One Direction on US tour

Olly Murs is to support One Direction on their forthcoming tour of the US and Canada.

Murs will join the band for 19 shows of their 27 date run, beginning in Toronto on 29 May.

Murs confirmed the news on Twitter, adding that his track Heart Skips A Beat will be released "in the summer".

Earlier this month One Direction became the first British group ever to go straight to the top of the US music charts with their debut album.

The band shifted 176,000 copies of Up All Night, which only went to number two in the UK charts back in December 2011.

Murs and One Direction are both graduates of the X Factor.

Murs was runner-up to Joe McElderry in 2009, while One Direction were beaten in the final by Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson in 2010.

Olly Murs has already played an arena tour in the UK this year.