After suffering from low rating’s last year, most agree that it’s time the ‘X-Factor’ had a bit of a shake-up. But the talent competition’s former host Dermot O’Leary has gone further and said he thinks the best thing Simon Cowell could do is take the show off air for a whole year.

Dermot O'LearyDermot O’Leary thinks the ‘X-Factor’ could benefit from a year off.

“If I was Simon I’d take [The X Factor] off air for a year,” O’Leary told the Radio Times magazine. “I’d rest it.”

Referring to the decision to move the auditions from rooms to arenas, he added: "Then I’d get back to the rooms. For me it was always room, arena, boot camp.”

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O’Leary continued to say that he felt uncomfortable over the six-chair challenge. “I was really uncomfortable about the Six Chair Challenge. I don’t think it’s a particularly nice bit of television.”

He also seemed to hint that the show took itself too seriously. “I don’t think they can say things like ‘Change my life for ever’ and ‘Amazing!’ Just use different language,” O'Leary said.

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The 42-year-old also said that ‘X-Factor’ viewers are now switching to BBC1’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, because it’s a warmer show. “I know where they’ve gone, they’ve gone and watched Strictly,” he said. “One of the reasons people like Strictly is because it’s a very warm show.”

Speaking about the current ‘X-Factor’ presenters Caroline Flack and Olly Murs, who were criticised for their on-air mistakes this past series, O’Leary commented: “You never want other people to fail, but sometimes you need a few cock-ups to remind people it’s a finely honed craft.”