DERMOT O’Leary has revealed he has finally reached the point in his career where he only signs up to present shows he can fit around his life.
The former Big Brother’s Little Brother host, who began his presenting career on Channel 4 with Sunday morning show T4 in 1998, is set to host new game show Silence Is Golden.
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Dermot – who hosted the X Factor when Dannii Minogue was a judge – said: “I’m at a stage now – a very happy, comfortable stage – you don’t always have the luxury of it, but I want to do things now that interest me, and I want to do things that fit around my life.”
In his new project, the audience must stay quiet during comedy performances to win a £250,000 cash prize.
Host Dermot, who married his wife Dee Koppang in 2012, said: “It’s not that I wanted to do a comedy game show, though I’m passionate about it and I want to do another one.
“It just felt like something different and a new and interesting and fun idea, and it was a bit of a challenge for me.
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“There are a couple of jobs I’ve turned down since having my son, Kasper, as I’m not going to go away for a long time, not unless he was with me.”
Dermot credits his time on The X Factor for helping him to only take on telly jobs that give him some element of freedom.
And he credits show boss Simon Cowell for giving him the freedom to present the talent contest in his own style.
Dermot said: “On the live shows Simon always said to me, ‘I’m never going to touch a word of your script, never going to tell you what to say. I’m paying you to go out and do it.’”
“He stuck to his word for 12 years and let me get on with it, which I enjoyed so much.”
But despite more than a quarter of a century on the box, Dermot has no plans to bring his career to an end and hopes to be on-screen for as long as he can.
He admitted: “I want to present for as long as I can, and I’m thrilled I’m still doing it.”
- Silence is Golden will air on U&Dave from May 5 at 9pm.
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