Dermot O'Leary is set to become the highest-paid presenter on UK TV after reportedly landing an £8 million (€9.6 million) contract with ITV to return to The X Factor for a four year stint.
O'Leary, who departed the show in 2014 after seven years of working on the series, will be taking over presenting duties from co-hosts Caroline Flack and Olly Murs in August.
"This is the comeback of all comebacks for Dermot," a source told The Sun. "Just one year after [Simon] Cowell axed him, he's signing the contract of a lifetime.
"It's completely unheard of for one presenter to be paid £8 million to host one show. There hasn't been a deal like it since Jonathan Ross was getting millions a year from the BBC to host his chat show.
"The X Factor just didn't work without Dermot. Getting him to come back was absolutely essential for its future."
O'Leary replaced Kate Thornton as the host of ITV's The X Factor in 2007
Last month, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger were confirmed as the judges joining Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell on the show's judging panel following months of speculation.
