A former talent show sensation has offered Olly Murs some valuable advice about how to cope with the pressures of fame.

At 24, Peter Brame had the entertainment world at his feet, having come fourth in the second series of Fame Academy, which saw him compete live on a weekly basis, like Witham singer Olly.

Many predicted a massive recording career for Peter, now 30, once he left the Fame Academy House where, like Olly, he was a hit with viewers and judges alike.

But despite embracing the celebrity lifestyle and moving to London to live with television presenter girlfriend Fearne Cotton, the promised musical career did not take off.

In 2005, he was declared bankrupt, but he has recorded albums and been in bands since.

He said: “I mucked it up. I fully admit that.

“On most of these programmes, you have a shelf life of about a year once it has ended. The market is so saturated with talent shows like the X Factor.

“I just spent a year faffing about. I did co-write some stuff, but it never came to anything.

“I was living in London and I was still quite young, and the fame thing did not sit well with me.”

Now living back with his parents in Colchester, Peter said the best advice he could give Olly, of the Carraways, would be to keep a close network of friends and family around him.

He added: “Have a solid network of people you can trust and who can support you and help you with any decisions you make. I did not have that solid base.”

He said this is even more important if, like him, Olly does not end up winning the show.

“If you win, you are more of a prize cow to them and they are going to look after you, rather than give you more of a free run, like I got,” he said.

He said: “I have not watched much of X Factor as I am often out practising with the band (his new band Broken Eye) or recording but I wish Olly well.”