THE MAN WITH THE REAL X-FACTOR - DERMOT O'LEARY VISITS MILTON KEYNES...
Dermot O'Leary made a whistle-stop visit to Milton Keynes today (Nov 20), signing copies of his new book release, The Soundtrack to My Life.
“
I got approached to do a book and didn't want to a standard 'this is my story', read all about it, type of thing. I just didn't want that,” he said, speaking to Total MK before getting down to the business of autograph signing.
“I wanted to theme it with something. Working with music shows for the last 10 years, having the radio show, and with music being a big part of my life, I wanted to tag it with something – and so each chapter has a different soundtrack.
“It is a biog or a memoir, but I wanted to do things a bit differently...”
Ask Dermot to plug the engaging page-turner though, and he finds that slightly more difficult: “I find it awkward,” he admits.
“The first 10 chapters are about growing up, and the following 10 are about working in television and what's it's like to work on two of the most crazy shows of the last 10 years – X Factor and Big Brother...”
Is X Factor the best job in TV, then?
“For me it is the best job, because I'm doing it...and God, I love it,” he says with a smile.
This is the eighth series of the ITV Saturday night staple that Dermot has hosted.
Wannabes fall by the wayside, stars are born and depart, and judges come and go.
But Dermot is always there, keeping the whole thing together. It's really the Demot show, is it not?
“I don't think Simon would be too happy about that, “ he says with a giggle, before settling down and meeting those fans who have been queuing at thecentre:mk for a moment with him.
But not everyone is from the area – mother and daughter Nicky and Erin Corbett, and best friend Rob Greig (above) made the journey from Swindon to say 'hello' and get their books signed at WHSmith. "He is just lovely and we are all big X Factor fans," says Rob.
“Honestly, I've never been like this before in my life!” says clearly emotional mum Nicky following her meeting with Dermot.
Then the trio, still bubbling with excitement and sporting beaming smiles, disappear into the sea of shoppers, books clutched tightly.
Forget the Saturday night hopefuls, for today's enthusiastic fans, there is only one person who really has the X-Factor.
> The Soundtrack to My Life is available now through Hodder & Stoughton.
Ask Dermot to plug the engaging page-turner though, and he finds that slightly more difficult: “I find it awkward,” he admits.
“The first 10 chapters are about growing up, and the following 10 are about working in television and what's it's like to work on two of the most crazy shows of the last 10 years – X Factor and Big Brother...”
Is X Factor the best job in TV, then?
“For me it is the best job, because I'm doing it...and God, I love it,” he says with a smile.
This is the eighth series of the ITV Saturday night staple that Dermot has hosted.
Wannabes fall by the wayside, stars are born and depart, and judges come and go.
But Dermot is always there, keeping the whole thing together. It's really the Demot show, is it not?
“I don't think Simon would be too happy about that, “ he says with a giggle, before settling down and meeting those fans who have been queuing at thecentre:mk for a moment with him.
But not everyone is from the area – mother and daughter Nicky and Erin Corbett, and best friend Rob Greig (above) made the journey from Swindon to say 'hello' and get their books signed at WHSmith. "He is just lovely and we are all big X Factor fans," says Rob.
“Honestly, I've never been like this before in my life!” says clearly emotional mum Nicky following her meeting with Dermot.
Then the trio, still bubbling with excitement and sporting beaming smiles, disappear into the sea of shoppers, books clutched tightly.
Forget the Saturday night hopefuls, for today's enthusiastic fans, there is only one person who really has the X-Factor.
> The Soundtrack to My Life is available now through Hodder & Stoughton.
