Dermot O’Leary on confronting Simon Cowell over lack of airtime on X Factor: ‘I don’t think I’m in the show enough’
He hosted the iconic show for years…
This Morning favourite Dermot O’Leary previously revealed why he was forced to confront Simon Cowell during their X Factor days.
TV presenter Dermot hosted the iconic ITV singing competition for eight years. He ended up leaving in 2015 and was replaced by Olly Murs and the late Caroline Flack.
A year later though, Dermot – who is hosting Soccer Aid today (June 15) – was brought back by Simon to host the show again. But according to Dermot, he was not too happy when he returned – and he soon called out Simon…

Dermot hosted the show for years (Credit: SplashNews.com)
This Morning star Dermot O’Leary’s shock at lack of airtime
In 2020, Dermot shared that he previously confronted show boss Simon over his lack of screen time on X Factor.
“You’re watching the show one day and going: ‘I’m not in any of this,’” Dermot told The Sun.
Recalling his confrontation with Simon, Dermot added: “He does that great Simon thing where you walk into his house and you’re like: ‘Stick to the plan, say what you want to say.’ And then you sit down, you’re going through it and he goes: ‘Do you want some chicken pie?’ And in your head, you’re like, actually, I really like chicken pie.”
Presenter Dermot continued: “The most delicious chicken pie you’ve had in your life turns up and you have this thing and you go: ‘I don’t think I’m in the show enough.’ He goes: ‘Yeah, I totally agree. Yeah, absolutely.’ Then you go: ‘Great, now I can just have a great time,’ because he’s great company.”

He headed round to Simon’s house to confront him (Credit: Britain’s Got Talent/YouTube)
Dermot on why he really quit The X Factor
Dermot also previously revealed the real reason he initially left X Factor.
Talking to Event magazine in 2019, Dermot recalled not knowing if his contract was going to be renewed, reportedly just weeks before the show started.
“I made a call to ITV and was told I might be doing it but I might not,” he claimed.
“I’d done eight years there very successfully, and I thought, I’m not playing these games any more. So I called ITV and told them to count me out. Saying ‘no’ was the only power I had.”
News
Young Female CEO Humiliated by Billionaire Family, She Walks Away from $900M Deal
Young Female CEO Humiliated by Billionaire Family. She Walks Away from $900M Deal They offered me $900 million, then looked me in the eye and told me I still needed “leadership presence.”They wanted my company, my technology, my contracts, and…
The Girl Who Couldn’t See. The Boy Who Saw Everything.
The Girl Who Couldn’t See. The Boy Who Saw Everything. I thought my daughter had been blind for three years. Then a twelve-year-old boy in Boston Common looked at her and said, “No, she isn’t.” Before I could answer, my…
At His 21st Birthday Gala, His Mother Fired A Poor Waitress And Said, “You Should Have Stayed Gone”—But Her Daughter At The Piano Exposed The Real Heir.k
At His 21st Birthday Gala, His Mother Fired A Poor Waitress And Said, “You Should Have Stayed Gone”—But Her Daughter At The Piano Exposed The Real Heir. My Daughter Played Three Notes at a Boston Gala, and the Hale Family’s…
A Dog K9 Visited the Dying Veteran Who Once Saved Him — What Happened Next Was Unbelievable.k
The Dying Veteran in Room 212 Whispered One Name Every Night — And 300 Miles Away, an Old German Shepherd Heard the Command That Brought Him Home I thought Room 212 would be the place where an old soldier quietly…
“Apologize to my daughter—right now,” a furious father demanded after a teacher dismissed him as “just a Marine.” Moments later, he walked into the school with his loyal K9 partner — and what happened next left the entire classroom speechless.
“Apologize to my daughter—right now,” a furious father demanded after a teacher dismissed him as “just a Marine.” Moments later, he walked into the school with his loyal K9 partner — and what happened next left the entire classroom speechless….
A Husband Locked His Pregnant Wife in a Freezer — But What She Did to Save Her Twins Turned a Death Trap Into a Miracle No One Could Believe
A Husband Locked His Pregnant Wife in a Freezer — But What She Did to Save Her Twins Turned a Death Trap Into a Miracle No One Could Believe At 32 weeks pregnant, I was locked inside a freezer by…
End of content
No more pages to load