Tiscali interview

Dermot O'Leary interview

For those of you who often wake up on a Sunday morning with an awful headache he is a guiding light. For presenter Dermot O'Leary has become a star by helping the hungover masses through the day.

As part of the Channel 4 youth programme T4, O'Leary has helped turn Sunday viewing into an essential part of the weekend. His light-hearted banter with fellow presenters teamed with his friendly face makes for easy-to-watch television. Perfect if your mind is not at its most alert.

O'Leary is currently working on that other Channel 4 success Big Brother. He presents the spin-off programme Big Brother Little Brother on E4. The live evening show features interviews with relatives, friends and work colleagues of the housemates as well as celebrities and psychologists, all discussing the goings-on in the human goldfish bowl.

"It takes people behind the scenes," says O'Leary. "It puts (Big Brother) into a better context and gives fans and hecklers a chance for redress. They might want to talk about their views on one of the housemates or the way we're treating one of the housemates."

Both series of Big Brother have been a big part of O'Leary's life and he has enjoyed watching and being a part of the phenomenon. "I was compelled (by last year's show)," he says.

"Obviously I'm more compelled this year for the simple reason that I have to be, but I've really got into it. Last year we had so much coverage of it on T4 that we really got into it anyway."

Although this year's contestants are a lot more aware of what they're doing and of the consequences, O'Leary feels it doesn't make them any less vulnerable to the nation's scrutiny.

"Obviously they're far more media savvy," says O'Leary. "They're far more aware of what they're doing most of the time. So there is a case for saying there shouldn't have been a second Big Brother at all.

"But I quite like the fact that they know what's going on outside yet can't help but be themselves inside. After all for 24 hours a day, seven days a week you're going to let your guard down."

As for the winner, O'Leary is unsure. As the housemates begin to reveal more of their personalities it is difficult to tell who will come out on top. "It's a toughie. I would've said Brian and I still think Brian's probably favourite," he says. "The only problem with Brian is that now Narinder's been nominated the chances are she'll probably get evicted. He's damaged himself cause he's aligned himself with her very much in the house. But I still say Brian and Dean are probably favourites."

Despite the lick of paint and the Ikea-fuelled make-over the Big Brother house has received, O'Leary doesn't feel the housemates have it any easier than last year. "The house is just different. It's pretty much the same place," he says.

"They're still going to ruin it as much as last year's lot. The tasks are much harder. The dancing task was a bit of a nightmare, the fire task must have been unbelievably boring and the first aid task required quite a lot of studying."

Even though he was asked, O'Leary didn't fancy trying out the Big Brother experience himself on Celebrity Big Brother. "I considered it for about two seconds then thought,'No, I'd rather not'," he says.

"I'd done a bit already for Comic Relief so I didn't feel too guilty about that. But the idea of people knowing my most annoying habits would really bug me."

The Big Brother cameras did manage to catch the presenter on film when he entered the house before the auction of last year's furniture. He was unaware that the cameras were still rolling and that footage was still being broadcast on-line.

"It was hilarious," he remembers. "I was taking a wee and talking to my producer about my ex-girlfriend. Then there was a hideous moment when someone emailed in to let us know. It was kind of embarrassing but I make enough mistakes on television for it to be just another one."

Brought up in Colchester, O'Leary started out as a DJ on BBC Radio Essex. He then worked as a TV runner before going on to do the warm-up for Channel 4's Light Lunch. Then T4 started and the rest is history.

After two years though, the modest presenter has decided to quit the show that has made him a star. T4 will not be the same without the genial presenter and he himself will also miss his baby.

"I'm going to miss it dreadfully," he says. "I'm not looking forward to it at all but I've made my decision now. I made my decision at the start of the year that I'd finish in the summer before we start the new season. I've finished learning as much as I can on T4 and I think I've done as much with that show as I possibly can."

A big exit is being planned for the presenter who has little idea of what will happen. "They're not telling me anything about my last show," he says. "They let me pick one of the bands but they're not telling me who the guests are. "It's like leaving a kid because I've lived and breathed this thing for the past two years. I know it's only a Sunday show but I've put seven days a week into it. It's going to be really strange leaving."

Whether T4 will keep its unique appeal without O'Leary remains to be seen but he feels the show is the success not its presenters. "There's a little bit me thinking,'I hope it's not the same when I leave' but that's the same with any job," he says.

"One of the reasons for its success though was that no-one's bigger than the show. That's the ethos I want to take to my next show. It's the ideas that count not who's presenting it."

O'Leary makes television presenting look like the easiest job in the world but he is much more modest about his talent.

"The secret is to know your place and never stop learning," he says. "Everyone can do something very well, that's all I can credit it to. But I've not finished learning yet and I've still got a long way to go."

Taken from the Tiscali website (original article)