Unless you’ve been in hiding (maybe on the run from the police, hunted for a crime you didn’t commit), you will have clocked that The X-Factor is revving up to take over our lives again from Saturday night. As John told us, there are many changes in store with the singing show’s format, but for many the most important change is that of the presenter. I often considered Kate Thornton out of her depth hosting the show and now the producers have taken the bold step of replacing her with cheeky chappy Dermot O’Leary. But what of this handover? Not often are TV show hosts that have cleared the hurdle of the debut season axed later in the programme’s run. How has this high-profile switch been handled?

Dermot tells all: “I called Kate the day I took the job before it went out and it was important for me to do that. She was very gracious and a lady. The way I look at it is, it’s a job. There is a fraternity amongst presenters but we’re not coal miners, I mean I’m not a scav. Kate finished with the X Factor and it was all done very above board. I was offered the job and it’s the biggest show on television, so I’m not going to turn it down.” And thankfully he didn’t, for if Dermot had passed it up, who would have replaced Kate? Vernon Kay? Myleene Klass? Fearne Cotton? DEAR GOD NO!

[via Digital Spy]