Dermot chooses between money or friendship; money wins

Dermot O'Leary had said he wouldn't have accepted Kate Thornton's old job on the X Factor because Thornton was a mate, and you don't do that to mates. Then ITV offered him a two contract which The Sun reckons is worth a million, and suddenly he's on board.

Of course, it's not going to be a million quid, but it will be quite hefty. Let's hope this expensive hiring policy, coupled with the ridiculous sum of money it's paying for the FA Cup and the five million it paid to get shot of dreadful failure Charles Allen, and the millions they had to pay to tempt Michael Grade onto their downward spiral, doesn't leave ITV suddenly short of cash. Judging by some of the small fry advertising in Corrie breaks recently, it's not exactly a thriving channel right now.

Of course, Dermot might not last that long:

“I was very flattered to be offered the job of hosting such a hugely successful show.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Simon and the team on the kind of show I grew up watching.”

Dermot, I believe you're meant to pretend that the X-Factor is a brilliant new idea what was had by Cowell, and not merely the latest in a long line of Opportunity Knocks type shows.

It's more bad news for Channel 4, though: this takes Dermot away from Big Brother's Little Brother (and we can't help but wonder if the prospect of interviewing hapless crooners seemed slightly more attractive after a winter of having to helm light entertainment programmes suddenly coping with racist bullying from the likes of O'Meara, Goody and that woman with the professional breasts); Russell Brand has already bailed out of Big Mouth. There might be some wobbles at Endemol's office this morning.