Quickfire with X Factor host Dermot O'Leary
The TV presenter on rapping to Wham and meeting George Clooney
Guilty pleasure? I enjoy the occasional session on the PlayStation. I like to put myself in a historical context.
Career plan B? Chef. I love to cook.I have a seafood restaurant [Fishy Fishy in Brighton].
Ever had therapy? Does having a few beers with a buddy count?
Who’s your best friend? Joe, who I’ve known since I was 11. I met him at school [in Colchester].
Where is home? London.
What would be your last meal on earth? Fresh mackerel. Nothing beats very fresh fish.
Dream dinner date? The 1960s Italian actress Claudia Cardinale – she’s beautiful. I’m allowed to say that now she’s older. Or my hero, Ernest Shackleton. Who’s also beautiful. In a different way.
Recurring dream? I feel like I’ve invaded Normandy a couple of times in my dreams. I sort of storm the beaches with guns and wake up after dodging a bullet with my leg jumping. It’s terrifying.
What advice would you give to your teenage self? Don’t worry about girls who say ‘no’ to a date. It’s not the end of the world.
Big break? Probably being the warm-up man on Light Lunch with Mel and Sue.
Most starstruck moment? Meeting George Clooney at the Baftas.
Your karaoke song of choice? ‘Thunder Road’ by Bruce Springsteen.
As a child, you wanted to be… An actor.
Cat or dog? Cat – I have two. But they were raised by dogs, which makes all the difference.
Motto you live by? I heard a lovely quote recently by an ice hockey player called Wayne Gretzky: ‘You miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take.’ The O’Leary motto is ‘Strong is the king of the sea’, which works for me too.
Worst job you’ve ever done? Flipping burgers at Wembley Stadium.
First record you ever bought? Wham’s ‘Young Guns (Go For It)’, with my sister. Can I do the rap? Of course! ‘Hey, tell this jerk to take a hike, there’s something ’bout that boy I don’t like.’
Book that changed your life? Twenty Years A-Growing by Maurice O’Sullivan. It was the first piece of Irish literature that my father ever gave me and it’s beautiful.
Lunch today was… On-set catering on The X Factor. It was typical healthy fare – really good salads and wraps.
Signature dance move? The running man.
Optimist or pessimist? 100 per cent optimist.
Style icon? Early Paul Newman.
Favourite villain? Jaws from the Bond films. God rest his soul.
Your most loved fairy tale? There’s a lovely old Irish fairy tale about Finn MacCool by the poet Oisin.
Dermot hosts The X Factor on Saturday and Sunday nights on ITV1. His memoir The Soundtrack To My Life is out now, price £20. To order a copy with free p&p for a limited time, go to you-bookshop.co.uk
