Dermot O’Leary thinks Nicole Scherzinger is the best ‘X Factor’ judge.
The 43-year-old presenter finds the former Pussycat Dolls singer – who took her hopefuls to the South of France with Calvin Harris for Judges’ Houses – is the most dedicated mentor to her contestants and always get involved with what they are doing.
He said: "I always seem to be in the South of France and I just love Nicole. I think she’s probably the judge you would want because she will chuck herself in. She’ll take the boys for runs. All the judges are brilliant but she is the one who absolutely commits to it."
This year, Simon flew his girls to his Malibu home and Dermot can’t understand why he risks letting his excited contestants loose on his luxury abode.
He said of the house: "It’s immaculate! I haven’t snooped round Simon’s house – I’m never going to do that. You don’t go upstairs.
"Like I said, it’s all immaculate. Very monochrome.
"I don’t know why he lets us in. He does it every year – I think he’s crazy. There’s no way I would let people in my house. Your electricity bill alone must go through the roof. But we can’t get Simon to go anywhere else."
But Dermot enjoys going to Sharon Osbourne’s Los Angeles home because he has things in common with her husband Ozzy.
He said "I have been to Sharon’s house before. It’s ace.
"I went to the toilet last time and found myself in Ozzy’s study and thought, ‘Oh, I took a wrong turn, I shouldn’t be in here. This isn’t my stuff.’
"There was lots of literature in there, which is great. I’m a big history buff, so that was good."
Going back to Ibiza with Louis Walsh brought back some memories of the presenter’s earlier career.
He told heat magazine: "When I was just starting out as a presenter, I did one of the worst TV shows ever in Ibiza.
"It was a Channel 4 show called ‘The Dog’s Balearics’ and they promised me this show about Ibizan culture and stuff – but it was dreadful. Anyway, it’s always nice to be in Louis’ ever expanding property empire."
Nicole Scherzinger is ‘best judge’ on X Factor
