[Red Moon]

I'm having the time of my life with X Factor
There'll never be another Leona Lewis, says show's new host Dermot O'Leary

X Factor host Dermot O'Leary has told the Belfast Telegraph he does not believe the popular entertainment show will ever produce another winner as talented as Leona Lewis.

Dermot, who took over as presenter from Kate Thornton this year - said Leona was "a freak, but in a good way" and that no finalist could ever match her talent.

And he said he was "loving every minute" of presenting the ITV hit show alongside judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Danni Minogue and Sharon Osbourne.

Dermot, who was in Belfast to host a two-day masterclass on television presenting for Cinemagic, said: "I'm having the time of my life with the X Factor. It was a huge compliment to be asked to do it and I'm having a great time.

"What you see from the judges is 100% real. Off-screen they get on really well, especially Louis and Simon, but once the cameras roll, it's a different story. But it's not fake, it's as if they keep all their frustrations for the show and say what they've got to say then. Maybe it's like being on a psychiatrist's couch.

"I think Danni is a great addition to the show, she's a singer and she knows what she is talking about."

Dermot said he was "shocked" to see schoolteacher Beverley - one of the favourites - voted off last week, but refused to be drawn on who he thought would win.

"I don't have a favourite, they're all lovely people. Some of them derserve to win, some of them are really talented," he said.

"But there'll never be another Leona Lewis. She has it all - the looks, an amazing voice, the whole package. No-one can sing like her.

"Leona's a freak, but in a good way. She's a complete one-off. But it's not about Leona this series, it's about finding another winner and it's very exciting at the moment.

"No-one could believe Beverely going out last week. It's inexplicable. You only had to look at the faces of the girls in Hope to see how shocked they were."

Dermot, who will present his last ever Big Brother show when he fronts Celebrity Hijack in January, had advice for hopefuls taking part in the show's auditions in Belfast this Sunday.

"Just be yourself," he said.

"Some people think they have to act a certain way to attract the attention of the Big Brother producers, but that's not the way to go."

Dermot - who also hosts a music show on Radio 2 - has been involved with Belfast charity Cinemagic for seven years now and said he believed there was a wealth of talent among young people in Northern Ireland.

"On the first morning of the workshop it's a bit weird because I forget I'm a television presenter and I zone out, but you get these people staring at you when you're talking and you don't know why," he said.

"But after that, they forget I'm your man of the telly and just get on with it. And there's definitely a lot of talent there.

"It's great to see young people who have taken part in Cinemagic workshops going on to work in telelvision, doing research or something like that. Who knows, there might even be the next Big Brother presenter among them."

Source: Belfast Telegraph