O'Leary: 'Sob stories were awkward'

Dermot O'Leary has admitted that he is grateful for the lack of "sob stories" on The X Factor this year.

In an interview with Zoo magazine, the show's presenter said that he used to find it "awkward" when contestants shared tales of their personal tragedies with him during filming.

He added: "At the end of the day, it's a singing contest, it's an entertainment show - so you have to try and veer away from it always being 'a journey' or telling people 'you've come a long way'."

Last year, O'Leary appeared to mock the show's sad stories during an appearance on ITV2 quiz Celebrity Juice.

Speaking at the time, he joked: "It's past 9pm, I can say what I f**king want. So, I don't care what your dream is. I don't care what you want to sing. And I don't care about your dead relative."

The X Factor continues on Saturday at 8pm on ITV1.