Dermot O'Leary gives thumbs up to The Voice

X Factor presenter Dermot O'Leary has given his seal of approval to The Voice - just days after reports that ITV had banned the show from being mentioned on the network. Speaking to the Star, Dermot sung the praises of the BBC1 show, admitting, "I loved The Voice, I honestly thought it was terrific." He also sang the praises of judges Jessie J and Tom Jones - despite all the recent criticism they have levelled at The X Factor, with Jessie suggesting that their ITV1 rival was about "gimmicks" rather than talent. "I thought Tom Jones and Jessie J were incredible," Dermot said, and added, "I want the show to do well. "I think it is good for TV and also good for The X Factor because it will make us up our game. Simon may say there's no room for another singing show but I'm sure he'd think differently if he had come up with the idea." On Sunday it was revealed that The Voice had once again beaten Simon's current show Britain's Got Talent in the ratings at the point the two shows overlapped on Saturday night. The Voice saw viewing figures of 9.6m in the 20 minute clash from 8pm, compared to 7.6m for Britain's Got Talent.

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.