Dermot O’Leary set to be best-paid solo presenter on UK TV with £8million X Factor deal

DERMOT O’Leary has signed an £8million deal to return to The X Factor.

The unprecedented four-year contract makes him the best-paid solo presenter on British telly.

He will also still be able to work for BBC TV and Radio 2, boosting his annual pay packet to at least £3million.

Dermot, 43, was forced to leave last year after boss Simon Cowell wanted Olly Murs and Caroline Flack.

But last night an X Factor source revealed: “This is the comeback of all comebacks for Dermot.

“Just one year after Cowell axed him, he’s signing the contract of a lifetime.

“It’s completely unheard of for one presenter to be paid £8million to host one show. There hasn’t been a deal like it since Jonathan Ross was getting millions a year from the BBC to host his chat show.

“X Factor just didn’t work without Dermot. Getting him to come back was absolutely essential for its future.”

We can reveal Dermot was being coaxed back even before last year’s series had finished.

And new ITV chief Kevin Lygo wanted to ensure that Dermot was secured before agreeing a new deal to keep X Factor on ITV until 2020.

Our source added: “Simon may have had questions about Dermot’s commitment before but he soon realised he’d made a mistake.

“Even a couple of weeks into the live shows last year, enquires were being made about bringing Dermot back.

“He had to think long and hard about it because he was loving working on a wide range of projects, including TV series for the BBC, documentaries and his Radio 2 show.

“But at the end of the day he loves X Factor and he was pretty much able to name his price – it was too good an opportunity to walk away from.”

Only Simon Cowell and Ant and Dec are paid more at ITV – but they are both on ‘golden handcuffs’ deals which limit them from working for any other channels.

A TV insider explained: “It’s unprecedented that Dermot would be getting so much money from one channel but still be able to work wherever else he wants.”

Dermot is estimated to earn at least a million pounds for his other presenting work for the BBC and as host of the NTAs on ITV.

Dermot is expected to be able to focus on his media work, including The X Factor, after closing his posh seafood restaurant Fishy Fishy in Brighton, East Sussex in January.

The X Factor returns next month with Dermot as presenter and Simon Cowell as head judge, joined by returning stars Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh.

An ITV spokesman said: “We don’t discuss artist’s contracts.”