Heat magazine article (4th May 2002)

The Heat Interview: Dermot O'Leary

"Where do the gay rumours come from? Well, I've got short hair and I work out..."

Dermot O'Leary is the celebrity that everybody likes. He's one of the most down-to-earth stars you'll ever meet, so why is he so cagey about his love life asks Jo Carnegie.

Ever wondered what Dermot O'Leary is like in the sack? Well, he's very warm, gives good, strong cuddles, doesn't have smelly feet and even manages to make a pair of granddad pyjamas look very appealing. Oh, and he's really good at pillow talk.

Unfortunately, our talk isn't quite of the post-coital kind. We're at a studio in north London to talk to Dermot, 28, about his new live music show Dermot Re:covered. In keeping with the theme, he's agreed to be shot playing the air guitar and even lets us clamber into the on-set bed with him for a keepsake snapshot.

In the flesh, Dermot is the same cheeky chappy you see on TV. Friendly, funny and good at the banter. He's also very tactile but not in a slimy way, which puts you at ease. Everyone likes the former T4 frontman. Sure, he has that extra drive and self- confidence associated with someone famous. But if we could imagine any celebrity as One Of Us, it would be Dermot. He certainly seems to see himself as an ordinary bloke who just happens to be on TV.

Yet at the same time, Dermot has been amazingly proficient at keeping his private life private something a lot of his showbiz peers fail at miserably. It's weird. Here he is, young, good-looking and a household name - prime tabloid fodder. Yet Dermot has managed to keep out of the newspapers. Indeed, the very fact that he has never been seen out with a girl has even lead to widespread speculation that Dermot is, in fact, gay. He's a contradiction; one of the most friendly yet enigmatic celebrities around. So what's the real deal?

How do you keep your private life out of the papers?

Because 1 don't think people are particularly interested in it. I'm sure if they found out "Dermot Is A Sex Fiend" they would, but, you know...

Yeah, but for someone so high-profile...

[Interrupts] Do you think I'm high profile? Of course - you're famous. Am Ithough? I don't think Iam.

You know you are...

It's weird. Sometimes you get recognised and sometimes you don't. I haven't done a really big show like Pop Idol with loads of press behind it. Maybe because of that, I don't know how famous Iam or if I'm famous.

You've never talked about your relationships, have you?

I don't really have any.

You don't have relationships?

No, well, it would just cause... [trails off]. It's not something like, "Oh my God, my private life is my own life." It's just that a) No one's really that interested and b) I think it would probably cause more problems than it's worth. I don't want to go out with anybody famous because Ithink that would be a nightmare.

People are interested in your private life though. In fact, lots of celebrities are rumoured to be gay - and you're one of them.

[Without missing a beat] Yeah, cool isn't it?

Are you gay?

No. I haven't got enough style to be gay. It's funny.

Where did the rumours come from then?

Well, I've got short hair and I work out - hmm - and I don't do laddy television.

Do you get people coming up into you in pubs and calling you gay?

No, but I've had come-ons. Oh yeah! I'm just really polite and tell them: "You don't wet my whistle".

Are you seeing a lady at the moment?

Well, that's a hard question to answer.

Why?

It just is.

It's not difficult. Either you are or you aren't.

It's not that. It's just that if my marital situation was defined, then I could answer that question for you, no worries. If 1 was single or if I was going out with someone - I'd answer that question if 1 knew the answer myself.

So you're kind of seeing someone but don't really know what's going on?

Well, I've been dating for a little while.

So there's no point asking you who your last relationship was with and when?

Last year. July.

With a girl who wasn't famous?

I've never been out with a famous girl. I've asked one out - and, no, I'm not going to tell you who it is.

Go on!

No, no, no. She did say yes but we never went out. Iasked her out, went on holiday and came back and her circumstances had changed. But that's fair enough. She's with a great man now. That's all I'll say.

Do you think it's none of my business asking about your private life?

No, not at all. 1 think it's perfectly reasonable and it's your job. You can just carry on batting me gently away... I'd answer it if I had more to answer. She's lovely.

Are you quite selective about who you're friends with?

Unfortunately, I'm friends with the same people I was when 1 was 16 and 1 wasn't particularly selective then. [Laughs] So I'm lumbered with them.

Do you get suspicious of new people?

Well you do, especially with girls. You can tell it immediately. You can see the signs in people's eyes.

How do you deal with that?

I just run to the toilet.

What do you think about being a sex symbol?

I don't really think I am.

But you're not exactly minging, are you?

I look at myself far too many times in the mirror and go: "Jesus Christ, you look like a dog," to think I'm good-looking.

Really?

Of course. Even when you're on TV you still get dumped like everyone else. Does it worry you that someone might do a kiss'n'tell on you? No. If 1 come across well. If they said I'm a gentlemen and 1 made love 20 times a night, then I'm thinking, " OK, this can work. But if I'm a shit lay and didn't pay for a cab home... [laughs]. That would be kind of annoying.

OK, let's leave your private life for a bit. Is your new show making a stand against all the manufactured pop out there?

I think so, but one good thing that has come out of Pop Idol apart from Simon Cowell's enormous trousers - is the fact that you have to be able to sing live. You can't really get away with miming any more.

What kind of music do you like?

I'm an indie kid. Doves, Elbow, Zero 7, Gomez.

James Redmond apparently said, as a Radiohead fan, he found it hard to get excited about Westlife on CD:UK. Did you feel like that on T4?

No. I'm not having a pop at James but who are you to say, "I don't think we should have this band on?" If they're Number One, then who am Ito say we shouldn't have them on? Imean, Westlife aren't my taste in music but I'm not going to have them on and go, "Here's Westlife. They're shit. "

Do you love being in front of the camera?

Yeah. But I'm not doing it because I want to be famous.

It almost seems like a normal nine-to-five job for you.

Yeah. I'll take that as a compliment.

Are you jealous of people like Ant and Dec f ronting prime-time BBC1 and ITV1 shows?

No. There are time slots I'm jealous of. I'd love to do a Friday night show. A music entertainment show. I know I'm more of a Channel 4 and BBC2 person. But the idea dictates where you go.

Do you have any famous friends that you hang around with?

I have famous friends who I've worked with but the people that I normally go out with aren't famous.

Do you ever hang out at the Met Bar?

I had to go once. I vowed I'd never go, just because it's the antithesis of, you know, what I'm about. I'd been to The Brits beforehand with a record company and they said, "Right, we're off to the Met Bar. " I was like, " Oh fuck! " My other two mates were like, "Where are you going? " I said, "Er, I'm going to the Met Bar." And they were like: " Oooh! " And I was like, [wailing] "You don't understand.'

Was it hideous?

It was everything I expected and more. It was funny though because I went and the bouncers didn't recognise me for about a quarter of an hour. Then they were like, " Oh, of course you can come in".

You didn't try the "Don't you know who I am" approach?

[Outraged shouting] I have never, ever said that.

Not even when you've been really drunk?

[Laughs]. No! I've never done that. I swear to God.

Do you ever get star-struck when you meet other celebs?

I went a bit funny when I met Jennifer Love Hewitt. What a woman! I interviewed her for T4. She's beautiful. And her mum's beautiful as well.

You're almost too nice to be true. Is there a dark side to you?

Er, I give myself too much of a hard time when I don't get things right. So if anything I can get a bit snappy.

Nothing else?

No, I don't think so. Well, I'm not a wife beater or anything like that.

When was the last time you lost your temper?

[Long pause]

Or made a minion cry?

No, I've never made a minion cry. [Thinks for a second] What a terrible thing to even say, "Made a minion cry." [Laughs] The last time 1 lost it was probably last year.

Oh stop it. You must have lost it since then.

No, I haven't.

No hissy fits?

No, I never have hissy fits.

And what made you lose your temper? Was it a work thing?

Er, no. [Changes subject quickly] I lose my temper at work but like I said, I take it
out on myself. That's the worst thing. I keep hitting myself over the head.

That can't be very good for you

No, I'm trying to work it out. It's all cool.

I'm not going to keep going on about your private life, but...

[Interrupts again]. You're the first person who's asked me about my private life. Not many people do, to be honest with you, that's why I haven't talked about it.

Maybe you give out "don't mess with me" vibes.

Oh Jesus, I do hope so. That would be great. "Dermot O'Leary - he's a lovely lad but I reckon he could kick the shit out of you."

This is heat. We have a natural curiosity. Do you accept that side of being famous?

Yes. I think people shouldn't be too naive about it. Everyone deserves a private life but you get paid a disproportionate amount of money and you enjoy a certain lifestyle and with that comes an opportunity cost. And that is losing some of your privacy.

At what point does it all get too much?

If I was walking along the street with my girlfriend and my baby and my girlfriend was genuinely upset at having a camera in her face, I'd be annoyed. Because it's different for her and chances are I won't be married to someone on television.

Has someone tried to dig the dirt on your love life?

Yes. Actually, some paper had something last year and me and my girlfriend had just split up. And it was a nightmare, they were going to print her name in the paper - she wasn't famous - and we pulled out every single stop we could to stop it. It just wasn't fair. It was the one time I really cared about it.

But you do secretly love all the attention, don't you?

Don't get me wrong. It's nice being recognised. Most kids around my way go, "You're that bloke off Channel 4 ain't ya? I go, "Yeah." And they go, " Right. " And then they just kiss their teeth and walk off. And you think, "That's quite good."