X Factor host Dermot O’Leary has revealed that he misses former judge Cheryl Cole.
Speaking after a huge row broke out live on air on Saturday night when Misha B was branded a bully, Dermot told The Mail the new judging panel are taking their job extremely seriously.
He said: “They’re fantastic, but they take it so seriously. To be fair to Gary Barlow, he’s the best singer-songwriter in the industry, so it’s got to produce a credible finalist.
“Can you imagine if we got to the final show and he had to unveil someone who couldn’t sing? It couldn’t happen!”
But even though he’s happy with the current panel, he believes Geordie Chezza would have been a “calming influence” on the others.
He said he used to have a cup of tea in the dressing rooms with her and he also misses Dannii because “she had become a real friend”.
Dermot added that he felt people used to raise their game when Simon Cowell was around – possibly a view shared by X Factor fans, who are said to believe this year’s talent aren’t as good as last year’s. People looking at the X Factor odds should bear this in mind.
It seems even the judges appear some of the former ones on the show, with Tulisa Contostavlos admitting earlier this month that she would love to do a duet with Cheryl.
In an interview with OK! magazine, she said she and the Girls Aloud singer get on well.
“I’d definitely do a duet with Cheryl. We’re cool. When I first met her I went: ‘Aw, I love you,’ and she was like: ‘Aw, I love you too,’ and then we had a little hug,” Tulisa told the mag
