Dermot O'Leary

Today’s guest is someone whose voice - and face - I think most of us know instantly. Dermot O'Leary has been such a constant in British life for years now, from hosting The X Factor, to his Friday slot on This Morning, to his weekend shows on BBC Radio 2. He’s had this really varied career - presenting everything from major live events like the Brit Awards and BAFTAs, to documentaries, and his more recent travel and food series Taste of Ireland with Dermot O’Leary on ITV, which is back for a second season. What I loved about this conversation is how much of his life has been shaped by travel. He grew up in an Irish family, going back and forth between England and Ireland, with those long childhood journeys to Wexford becoming some of his earliest memories. And that sense of place, of identity, of belonging really runs through everything he talks about in this episode. So today, we’re diving into the seven chapters of Dermot’s travel diaries, from those childhood summers in Ireland, to travelling solo across America, winter escapes to Norway to the Italian region that’s completely stolen his heart. Holly’s Destination Recap: - Priesteregg Resort, Leogang, Austria Dermot’s Destination Recap: Soneva Fushi, Maldives Wexford, Ireland Curracloe Beach, Ireland Cahore, Ireland St Davids, United Kingdom Fishguard, United Kingdom Dordogne, France Atlantic Coast France, France Norfolk, United Kingdom Bodrum, Turkey Donegal, Ireland Sligo, Ireland Causeway Coastal Route, United Kingdom Ballycastle, United Kingdom Portrush, United Kingdom Portstewart, United Kingdom Derry, United Kingdom Coleraine, United Kingdom New York City, United States Washington DC, United States New Orleans, United States Los Angeles, United States Hermosa Beach, United States Seattle, United States Puglia, Italy Salento, Italy Oslo, Norway Bygdøy, Norway Lofoten Islands, Norway Bergen, Norway Kirkenes, Norway Prague, Czech Republic Japan, Japan South Korea, South Korea New England, United States Maine, United States DERMOT O'LEARY'S TASTE OF IRELAND kicks off on Saturday 2nd May on ITV 1 and ITVX, in partnership with Tourism Ireland With thanks to… Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian. EZRA - You can use the code EzraUK300 for £300 credit towards a scan. Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or

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Dermot O'Leary is an episode from The Travel Diaries by Holly Rubenstein .

This episode is 54:01 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2026.

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