O’Leary: it would be blooming great if I was the new Rose of Tralee host

15 May 2010

RTE is keeping mum about whether they'll snap up Dermot O'Leary (36) as the new Rose of Tralee host.

The X Factor presenter has made the surprising admission that he would love to take over the slot vacated by Ray D'Arcy in a move that would no doubt prove a massive boost to the festival.

But the Republic’s national broadcaster is determined to keep everyone guessing when it comes to who will take over the gig next August.

“RTE are currently looking at a number of presenters who may be suitable for the position, all of whom are strong contenders,” she said.

Asked about who was responsible for picking the new presenter, she confirmed the decision lay primarily with RTE with “input and co-operation” from the festival committee. The decision will be made in about a month's time.

Meanwhile, Dermot's unexpected move has received some support from an unlikely source — Daithi O'Se (34).

Despite still being the 2/1 favourite to take the slot himself, the Kerryman clearly welcomes the competition.

“I think he's a great presenter and he's used to doing all the live stuff from the X Factor so he would be great at it,” he said.

“This is one of the biggest gigs out there. It's on par with the Late Late Toy Show in terms of ratings and he would be well able for it.”