UPDATE: |Dermot O’Leary defends The X Factor after complaints but says show would be ‘done differently’ today News

The former presenter of The X Factor has defended the ITV show after a flurry of mistreatment allegations

Former The X Factor presenter Dermot O’Leary has defended the talent show after a string of complaints from former contestants, but admitted the show would be “made differently” today.

O’Leary hosted the ITV singing contest from 2007 to 2014, later returning to present its final three series until 2018. In an interview with The Sunday Times, he said “most of the people we had on were treated really well” but that not everyone would have had “the best experience”.

The X Factor, which was behind the creation of pop bands One Direction and Little Mix, has faced recent criticism from former contestants including Jedward, Misha B, and Rebecca Ferguson, who claimed the show had mistreated some participants.

Some former contestants have cited their negative experiences from the show as the reason for their mental health problems.

The This Morning presenter, 51, called the show “celebratory” and said that most contestants enjoyed their experience. O’Leary said: “If the show was made now, it’d be made differently.”

He added: “The culture is different, but it was pretty much always celebratory. Look, not everyone on the show is going to knock it out of the park. Not everyone is going to have the best experience.

“But most of the people we had on were treated really well, and a lot of people who have talked negatively about their experiences are talking about what happened after they left. I think 99 out of 100 actually missed the show – they missed the bubble. So if there is a duty of care to be looked at, it’s what happens afterwards.”

Liam Payne, who appeared on The X Factor and became part of the hugely successful band One Direction, spoke openly about his struggles with addiction and mental illness throughout his career after rising to fame at a young age.

Payne died in October aged 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.

Speaking about the safeguarding and support for people dealing with fame, O’Leary said “that’s an industry-wide conversation that should be had”.

O’Leary added: “Duty of care is the most important thing when doing shows like this and I wouldn’t dare to presume to speak for everyone.

“But in my experience, it was always taken seriously on the show – and would be even more thorough now.”

The talent show was known for its auditions which saw a variety of personalities give performances that could result in their audition going viral. O’Leary told The Sunday Times that his role on the show was “to normalise the experience for contestants”.

He said: “I used to go down on Thursday and Friday. I didn’t have to – I just took the job seriously.

“So I’d ingratiate myself with the singers and make sure they were comfortable, because you want them to be able to have their moment on the weekend.”