DERMOT O’LEARY is openly Catholic but equally open about the struggles with his faith. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Pope Francis has been a breath of fresh air for the presenter of ITV’s pop music talent show, The X Factor. “I’m a big fan: he’s passionate, he’s progressive. It’s the little things that are impressive, such as the car he drives and the shoes he wears,” O’Leary told us at the MP Correspondents’ Annual Parliamentary Reception, organised by Cafod on the Terrace Pavilion at the House of Commons on Monday. When we asked the television presenter, a long-time Cafod supporter, if he still finds being a Catholic difficult at times, he laughed and replied with an understated: “Yep, a little bit.” O’Leary has, fo
03 April 2014, The Tablet
Francis has the X Factor
Get Instant Access
Continue Reading
Register for free to read this article in full
Subscribe for unlimited access
From just £30 quarterly
Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
The full weekly edition in print and digital including our 179 years archive.
PDF version to view on iPad, iPhone or computer.
Already a subscriber? Login