Dermot O’Leary has admitted that he is very fond of Simon Cowell’s last act, One Direction.

The X Factor presenter said that the boyband have worked really hard throughout the series, but their great work ethic hasn’t stopped them having a lot of fun along the way.

O’Leary told The News Of The World:

“Until now, bands put together for the show – be they boy or girl bands – have been nothing short of a disaster.

But this fivesome have bucked the trend. They’ve pulled out all the stops, work really hard and, take it from me, are far cheekier in real life than they are on TV. And they’ve also all become really good friends, which has been great to see.

One word of warning though – don’t leave them anywhere near the dancers.”