Dermot O’leary on his fellow Dec has to work twice as hard without pal Ant
IT has been the toughest of years for Britain’s favourite TV presenting double act.
Dec had to shoulder the presenting duties on Britain’s Got Talent when troubled Ant took a break from showbiz to handle his drink demons and marital problems.
Taking to the stage without his great pal meant Dec had to work twice and has given him a new- f ound appreciation of solo presenters.
The 43-year-olds have not worked together for the past year yet they are still up for the National Television Awards’ top TV presenter gong.
It is an honour they have won 17 times, every year since 2001.
On Tuesday next week, X Factor host Dermot O’leary, 45, will present his tenth NTAS live on ITV, which are voted for by the public.
He revealed how Dec had opened up to him about challenges he faced.
Dermot said: “After going it alone Dec said to me over dinner. I get it. I get how hard it is for you.
“Because whenever Ant’s talking I’m thinking. But I don’t have that time to think now.”
Ant’s world came crashing down in March last year when he got behind the wheel more than twice the drinkdrive limit.
Dominated
His Mini was in a three-car crash in South West London.
The £130,000- a-week star admitted drink driving and was fined £86,000 and banned for 20 months.
In October he was divorced from make-up artist Lisa Armstrong, 42, following 11 years of marriage.
Holly Willoughby, 37, who took Ant’s place in the I’m A Celebrity jungle, is also up for the presenting gong – along with her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield, 56 and chat show king Graham Norton, 55.
Dermot said: “Ant’s a dear friend. I think he’s scheduled to come back to TV this year. As long as he’s happy. He just needs to be in a good place.
“Ant and Dec are such a staple that when I was doing a trail for I’m A Celeb I said their names instead of Holly.” Ant is expected to start filming on BGT later this month.
He has also been working behind the scenes. In December, he and Dec attended a screening of ITV’S gameshow Re-play 2018, which they were executive producers on.
But Dermot would like to see Holly walking away with the best TV presenter gong. He said: “She did such a good job.”
Despite, according to him, having a much harder job presenting the X Factor,
Dermot i s a notable omission from the presenting award shortlist.
But he still has the chance to walk away with an award because X Factor is up for best talent show against BGT, Dancing On
Ice, Strictly Come Dancing and The Voice.
Dermot said: “Strictly dominated and beat us on ratings, we get that.
“Strictly’s like a nice bath. We’re like a hot and cold shower.” Music mogul Simon Cowell, 59, has reportedly signed a three-year deal for X Factor.
Dermot said: “I’d love to come back. I’m loving it more than ever before. We can find stars like Dalton Harris, who was last year’s winner.”
He would like to see the same judges return with Cowell – Robbie Williams, 44, wife Ayda, 39, and nd ex One Direction singer Louis ouis Tomlinson, 27.
Robbie missed a month on n the show as he was touring. Dermot said: “It was a spectacular piece of contract ntract negotiating from Robbie’s people. ople. I’m going to try do the same.
“The reason the panel worked d was because they were all entrenched d with their acts. Louis was a revelation. With Ayda, I think we need to o sell her better.
“No one on that panel knows how to fail. Success over a 20-year -year acting career like Ayda. That’s her skills set.” t.”
In the NTA’S judge dge category Cowell is up against Williams and Tomlinson as well as his BGT tormentor-in-chief chief David Walliams, who beat the boss last year. ear.
A real courtroom oom judge, Robert Rinder, er, 40,