Holly? She Willoughby just great in the Jungle

Dermot’s verdict on new I’m a Celeb host

DERMOT O’Leary has backed Holly Willoughby not to stumble in the Jungle as I’m a Celebrity co-host – but to provide some mighty laughs instead.

This Morning star Holly, 37, will team up with Declan Donnelly, 42, in Oz in November while his regular partner Ant McPartlin, 42, recovers from drink and drug problems.

And X Factor host Dermot – who knows them all well as colleagues at ITV – said: “I think Holly is a great booking.

“It is the obvious choice but it’s also the best choice. I don’t think a guy should have got it because how do you replace Ant? Just by it being different it’s a good thing.

“Holly brings her own dynamic and she’s a brilliant broadcaster.

“She’s compassionate, intelligent and funny and will do a terrific job.”

The X Factor returned this weekend with Simon Cowell, 58, joined by new judges – ex-Take That star Robbie Williams, 44, his wife Ayda Field, 39, and One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson. Robbie is said to have had a £10million pay cheque.

Dermot, 45, said: “I don’t know the ins and outs of the money, but as a person and as a judge, the gamble has paid off incredibly well.

“He took to it like a duck to water.”

He compared Robbie to a Real Madrid superstar, insisting: “He’s a Galactico. He’d come back from a break and Angels is playing and he’d get the mic and start singing – immediately 4,000 people are in a Robbie Williams concert.

“It’s important we have more than one alpha personality. Robbie and Simon are alphas.”

He added: “Ayda’s saying, ‘I’m the underdog and I’ve got to prove myself on this panel’. Those judges try twice as hard.”

Of Louis, 26 – booted off in 2010 before being called back to join One Direction – he said: “He knows what it’s like to fail and that’s important.”

GET HIM OUT OF THERE! Jungle-bound Holly has already had one sslip-up with a ssneaky ssnake. A python wrapped itself around her on This Morning in November, and even slithered up her skirt – before co-host Phil Schofield stepped in to save her ALPHA PLUS Dermot with X Factor judges Robbie, Ayda, Louis and Simon BACK Dermot hosts X Factor