Fans of The Voice were amused after Olly Murs refused to refer to The X Factor by name.

Murs, who is a coach on the ITV show, was responding to one of the contestants who he had likened to a younger version of himself.

The Heart Skips A Beat hit-maker said the singer was the same age he had been when he had applied for “the other show” – refusing to name The X Factor.

Viewers took to social media to poke fun at Murs, who found fame after coming second in the sixth series of The X Factor in 2009.

One viewer joked that the coach could have been under the impression he was not allowed to name The X Factor because it was still broadcast by the BBC, a rival of ITV.

Since 2017 ITV has been home to both The Voice and The X Factor following the former’s move from the BBC.

Another social media user also noticed Murs’ comment.

One more quick-witted viewer joked that perhaps he thought the rivalry between the BBC and ITV had become “like MacBeth”.

A fourth viewer made a Harry Potter-themed joke, referencing He Who Must Not Be Named, otherwise known as Voldemort.

Murs then stood up to sing Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, the song he performed during The X Factor audition that won him a place in the show’s live rounds.