EIGHT years ago Olly Murs and Joe McElderry had viewers glued to their screens as they went head to head in the final of The X Factor.

Tyneside teen McElderry triumphed over his Essex rival and both men were instantly signed up for big money deals on Simon Cowell’s record label.

In a bizarre turn of fate, the two singers are performing concerts in Brighton and Hove tomorrow night, just over a mile apart.

Murs is playing a huge stadium gig at the 1st Central County Ground in Hove, home to the Sussex cricket team, whereas McElderry will take to the comparatively smaller – but still grand – Theatre Royal.

Given the coincidence of the concert clash, we couldn’t resist the chance to try to make this much overdue reconciliation happen.

Murs recently told The Argus he hadn’t been in contact with his X Factor counterpart “in years”. However, he added that “it would be great to meet up” with McElderry and “find out what he’s been up to”.

Step forward The Windmill pub in Upper North Street, which said it would welcome the estranged pair with open arms.

Bar manager Brett Mendoza, 36, said: “Why the hell not? A little X Factor reunion would be very nice.

“They’d need to keep their voices for their gigs so I wouldn’t serve them anything too heavy – a nice cold beer perhaps.”

It’s a tempting offer for the two singers, whose careers have gone down different paths since 2009.

While Murs has scored four consecutive number one albums, including his recent release 24 Hrs, McElderry appeared on and won television talent programme Popstar to Operastar before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Murs has undoubtedly enjoyed a greater level of success in pop music, coming close to achieving his dream of being an “international superstar”.