There are awkward interview moments, and then there are awkward interview moments. Dermot O’Leary found himself in the latter category this week during a seemingly innocent appearance on Good Morning Britain.

The 53-year-old This Morning presenter popped by the ITV studio on Wednesday to chat with hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls. What was supposed to be a lighthearted catch-up about his holiday and the NTAs quickly took a sharp turn when Reid decided to ask the question we’re all thinking but would never actually say out loud.

Spoiler: Dermot’s face said it all.

The Setup

Dermot was on the show to discuss, well, whatever daytime TV presenters discuss when they’re promoting nothing in particular. But the conversation inevitably turned to the biggest rumour in telly land right now: The X Factor is reportedly plotting a comeback.

Reports have been circulating that ITV and production company Talkback Thames are in talks to revive the former Saturday night juggernaut, hoping to fill a gaping hole in the schedule with a big flagship entertainment show that appeals to younger viewers via social media.

Rumours suggest Simon Cowell would be involved in some capacity, but the judges would be “fresher-faced” to appeal to the target demographic. And naturally, speculation has turned to whether Dermot — who hosted the show for 11 years between 2007 and 2018 — might return to the helm.

The Question That Changed Everything

Dermot, to his credit, played it relatively coy at first. “I don’t know what I can tell you because I don’t know anything,” he said. “I only got back from holiday on Thursday”.

He then gave the classic “never say never” response when pressed on whether he’d return, adding: “It’s six years since it was on air which doesn’t sound like that much of a long time, but the world has changed and the music’s changed, and how we communicate and how we watch things has changed so much in those six years”.

So far, so diplomatic.

Then Susanna Reid leaned in.

“Did people ring you and say ‘we’re going to relaunch X Factor but you’re too old to present it’?” she asked, with the kind of casual brutality that only a seasoned breakfast TV host can deliver.

The studio fell silent. Dermot’s face cycled through several emotions in rapid succession — confusion, disbelief, and finally, a slightly pained laugh.

“No. No one’s told me that,” he replied, his tone hovering somewhere between “I can’t believe you just said that” and “please let the ground swallow me whole”.

He quickly pivoted to safer ground, sharing his thoughts on how the show would need to evolve if it ever did return: “I’m fascinated as to what they’ll do if they do bring it back. It’d have to be, in many ways, a very different show [but] you still want the nostalgia of how it was in the first place”.

He also reflected on how the contestants themselves had changed over the years. “When I started on that show… it was always people turning up saying, ‘I wanna be a star, tell me what you want me to be,’” he said. “As it progressed and music became more democratised, people would turn up and say, ‘Well, I’ve got my own album and I’m on YouTube and I’ve written 24 songs but I need a platform’”.

The NTAs Elephant in the Room

Before the age question dropped, there was already a bit of tension in the air. Dermot’s show, This Morning, had just beaten Good Morning Britain to win Best Daytime Programme at the National Television Awards the night before.

Ed Balls and Susanna Reid teased him about it, though Susanna — who had earlier joked about wearing a swimsuit in Ibiza as a “ploy” to get people to vote for GMB — took the loss with reasonably good grace.

Dermot, for his part, seemed happy to be there, even if he was slightly blindsided by what was to come.

The Internet Reacts

As expected, the moment didn’t take long to circulate online, with viewers cringing on Dermot’s behalf.

“Susanna Reid asking Dermot O’Leary if anyone’s told him he’s too old for the X Factor reboot is the most brutal thing I’ve seen on morning telly in a while,” one viewer wrote on X.

“Poor Dermot. You could see his soul leave his body,” added another.

Some pointed out the irony that Susanna herself has publicly pushed back against ageism, having previously told critics to “not let anyone tell you that you are too old”. Pot, meet kettle.

What’s Next for the X Factor?

If the reboot does go ahead, it’s unclear whether Dermot would be involved. A TV source previously told Digital Spy that there’s “a desire from some X Factor fans to see the show return to basics like in its glory days, proper auditions, Dermot [O’Leary] as host and with the old judges Simon, Cheryl, and Louis [Walsh]”.

But with rumours of a “fresher-faced” judging panel and a push for younger viewers, the question of whether Dermot fits the new vision is clearly on the table.

Whether he’s “too old” or not, one thing’s for certain: he handled the question with far more grace than most of us would have managed.

What do you think? Was Susanna Reid out of line, or just doing her job? Let us know in the comments.