IT’S a hard life being part of The X Factor team.
Hanging out with Robbie Williams, Ayda Field and Louis Tomlinson one moment, jetting off to the judges’ houses the next.
No wonder long-time host Dermot O’Leary looks like he’s enjoying every minute.
I had a sit-down chat with Dermot last week at Simon Cowell’s rather nice home in Los Angeles.
And we had a lovely wee chinwag about the latest series of the talent show, what Simon is really like these days, and how Dermot has his favourites among the X Factor contestants!
“It’s impossible to not get emotionally involved,” explained Dermot. “You have your favourites, so you feel big brotherly towards them.
“I always say to them in the studio if you give me the answer you think the audience want to hear I’m going to get you off the stage as quickly as possible.
“Just be honest, that’s what people want – honesty.”
As for Simon, I’ve always thought you have to get up early in the morning to get the better of him.But now it looks like you have to be up even earlier than that! “Simon goes to bed early now! He used to go very late,” laughed Dermot.
“This is his house and he hosted us last night. He said to us, ‘Cheers guys, I’m off to bed’. We thought, ‘What?’
“He went to bed at 11:30pm with loads of people in his garden. I was impressed by that!”
Simon is now a dad, to baby Eric. Dermot reckons that has helped Simon become less like the scary Simon we all know.
“I’m not sure if he’s in there changing nappies right now, but, yeah,” said Dermot.
“It happened before Eric. He’s just a softer guy.
“We were all uncomfortable when he was doing the Mr Nasty stuff, and he was never really that person.
“He would just give good, honest, blunt feedback, and he still does that. But in the show we’re a lot more supportive.
“I’m always asked what he’s like – and I say he’s fun, super-bright and a very successful businessman.
“But one-on-one he’s just a real laugh. And he wants to have fun, he’s got a brilliant life, why wouldn’t he enjoy it?
“When he sees young acts come and do well – that’s where he gets his kicks from.”
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