Dermot O'Leary was tired of X Factor 'games'

21 January 2019

Dermot O'Leary quit 'The X Factor' because he was tired of ITV playing "games" with his contract.

Dermot O'Leary

The 45-year-old presenter began hosting the show in 2007 but he opted out of the job in 2015 because, despite it being such a huge professional commitment he would be able to undertake little else, producers refused to confirm if they still wanted him just "weeks" before filming was due to begin.

He said: "When you sign on to 'The X Factor' it takes nine months of your year.

"But at the end of every series you were left not knowing if your contract was going to be renewed. I remember being in Austin, Texas, and still not having heard whether I was going to be doing 'The X Factor', which would have started in a matter of weeks.

"I made a call to ITV and was told I might be doing it, but I might not.

"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."

Although Dermot - who is married to producer Dee Kopang - had an initial moment of panic about his decision, he vowed to prove to himself he could "live without" the talent show and use the time to pursue a number of other ventures.

He added in an interview with Event magazine: "The following day I thought, 'Holy s**t!', but I decided to do all the things I'd planned but never had the time for.

"I had an idea for a documentary, I had a couple of ideas for children's books I wanted to write, and I wanted to show myself I could live without 'The X Factor'."

Caroline Flack and Olly Murs stepped in to host the show but received a lot of criticism for their performance, and Dermot returned the following year with an £8 million, four-year deal.

The presenter also believes his decision has only improved his relationship with show chief Simon Cowell.

He said: "Television is a game, and Simon lets everyone play. He doesn't interfere with what I do. There's a mutual respect. If anything, our relationship was better after I left and then came back. No one can get too big for their boots, especially not in this business."