Dermot O'Leary making a serious point on This Morning
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This Morning host Dermot O’Leary’s massive U-turn on working with wife Dee

Presenter changed his tune

Dermot O’Leary’s wife Dee Koppang O’Leary is a TV producer and director but the This Morning host always vowed never to work with her.

The pair met in 2002 when they were working for the same TV production company and married in 2012.

They set up their own production company in 2013 – but that’s as close as they got to working together.

Dermot O'Leary making a serious point on This Morning
Dermot O’Leary said he didn’t think he should work with his wife (Credit: ITV)

Work-life balance

“We’ve a couple of joint ventures, but I don’t think we could ever have a situation where she was directing me.

“It’s husband and wife stuff, come on! I wouldn’t go so far as to say she criticises me, but she’s honest,” Dermot told the Belfast Telegraph.

“If she thinks I’ve not been good on a show I’ll get silence, but she doesn’t go so far as to offer advice!” he added. “But then I’d never tell her how to frame a shot.”

Read more: OPINION – This Morning needs Dermot and Alison to host more often

However, Dermot has since made an exception.

He appears in the final series of The Split, playing a breakfast TV host – so not too much of a stretch.

It’s a blink and you’ll miss it moment, though, so Dee couldn’t have needed to direct him too much.

Dermot, 48, paid tribute to his Norwegian-born wife along with his mum and sister on International Women’s Day this year.

Sharing a pic of the three women, he gushed: “My holy trinity.”

The presenter has spoken out before about his wife, praising her for keeping him sane.

The couple now have a son together
The couple married in 2012 (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Powerful pair

While not as well-known as her husband, the director has enjoyed a successful career working on shows such as The Crown and Bridgerton, ahead of The Split.

Dermot meanwhile is one of the UK’s most successful presenters having fronted a number of primetime shows including The X Factor and This Morning.

The creative pair like to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, but they did announce the happy news that they had became parents in 2020.

Their son, Kasper, was a welcome addition to the family and Dermot told his fans he was enjoying “sleepless love” as he got used to becoming a first-time dad.

Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond smiling on This Morning - April 1, 2022
Dermot and Alison have a great time on This Morning (Credit: ITV)

Dermot O’Leary’s TV wife

The presenter is now back to business filling in for Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield on the Friday edition of This Morning.

He is joined on the sofa by bubbly Brummie Alison Hammond, who has great chemistry with her co-star.

Fans have commented on how much they enjoy the pair working together with Dermot often in stitches over his TV wife’s ‘Alisonisms’.

This Morning is on weekdays at 10am on ITV

Have you spotted Dermot O’Leary in The Split yet? Tell us on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor