The X Factor host Dermot O'Leary's been discussing the future of our fave telly talent show, claiming it could be on our screens for another DECADE despite all the naysayers.
After last year's series - which saw Rak-Su crowned winners - suffered the show's lowest ratings in its fourteen-year look Dermot's assured us it ain't going anywhere 'as long as the talent keeps coming.'
In 2017, the Strictly Come Dancing final managed over 10 million viewers on average, while The X Factor final bagged 5.2 million. Dermot doesn't think there's anything to worry about, though; saying he's feeling pretty positive about the direction the show's taking.
Speaking to *Radio Times *about the whole ratings debacle, Dermot explained: "Does it hurt? Um, I’d love to get back up to eight million again. You want to rate well, of course you do.
"As long as the talent keeps coming, yeah. And the talent keeps showing up.
"I was really annoyed with some of the people this year, cause I was like, 'Why didn’t you audition last year?'
"When I first started people would turn up and say, 'tell me who you want me to be'. Now you get people going, 'Here’s my first album, here’s my YouTube channel', and the show’s become a facilitator for that, and that’s a good thing."
This all comes as Dermot confirms Cheryl will return to The X Factor judging panel this year. He told Metro: "Cheryl’s going to come back.
"If it wasn’t Cheryl, I would love Mariah. It would be a whole new world of crazy my friend."