Dermot O’Leary is ‘flattered’ by BRITs hosting offer

Dermot O’Leary is "flattered" by his offer to host the 2017 BRIT Awards.

The 43-year-old ‘X Factor’ host has confirmed he is in talks with bosses of the prestigious music ceremony to present the annual event, which takes place at London’s The O2 on February 22, and he is going to make his mind up after the National Television Awards (NTAs) on Wednesday (25.01.17).

Dermot says that while he is thrilled to have been invited to step in for Michael Bublé, who pulled out of the hosting gig so he can be with his three-year-old son Noah, who is currently battling cancer, he wishes it could have been under "different circumstances".

Speaking to The Sun newspaper about the potential gig, he said: "Obviously it’s hugely flattering to be asked, I’d much rather be asked in different circumstances though.

"We should not forget in all of this that a little boy’s really ill and his dad’s got to take some time off to look after him.

"I’m not saying that in a schmaltzy way, it’s obviously very important.

"That said though, it’s a really tough gig and it’s a huge gig to be asked to do.

"But I want to get the NTAs out of the way first before I sit down so I’m just concentrating on the NTAs."

Emma Willis, 40 – who hosts ‘The Voice UK’ and ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ – is also being tipped to take on the role.

A source previously said: "Dermot is exactly what ITV want to host the Brits, a safe pair of hands.

"He has that wealth of experience, specially with live TV.

"He has been at the helm of ‘The X Factor’ for a decade and has a solid awards background too, thanks to the National Television Awards [NTAs].

"He is talking to producers but hasn’t made a decision yet. Emma is also an option."

The BRIT Awards, in association with Mastercard, will be broadcast live on ITV on February 22.