...the new face of yoof TV

Observer

You've got to stay up to watch Jamie these days, but Dermot O'Leary has replaced him as the new face of weekend yoof viewing. He co-presents Channel 4's T4 with Margherita Taylor, the strand of Sunday- morning TV, which sandwiches episodes of Dawson's Creek and Hollyoaks between the light grilling of teen pin-ups. It's the hip older brother to its Saturday siblings Live and Kicking and SMTV.

Like all the best practitioners in the medium, O'Leary is at home on a primary-coloured sofa. He is bright, down-to-earth and doesn't talk down to his audience. He can be cheeky, even risqué, with the right guest.

In short, he's a bit of a lad. Although he disagrees. 'I'm hardly the most masculine, beer-swilling guy you'll ever meet in your life.' But he's happy to admit that he occassionally turns up to work with a hangover and even though he could pass for a boyband member, it's hard to imagine him in one. He can't match Johnny Vaughan's stream of consciousness chat, but his career is on a similar trajectory.

At the end of this month he makes the inevitable foray into late-night C4 with the unfortunately titled The Dog's Balearics. It's a dance music series based in Ibiza that is part docu-soap and part clubbers' guide. His co-presenter is Jayne Middlemiss, Jamie Theakston's former partner on The Ozone . He's a staple in the teen press and frequently crops up as one of the eligible bachelors in Women's mags.

He began his career in time-honoured fashion as a runner in a small production company where the got his first screen experience.

He then became the warm-up man for Mel and Sue's Light Lunch, followed by stints on Fully Booked and The Bigger Breakfast. The Jamie Theakston tag has followed him around since his break into presenting. He fits the mould of good-natured irreverence in a clean-cut package. Regular T4 viewers will know that he is not a sycophantic host. 'I'm not going to big up anything that I don't like,' he says simply. But while he really likes indie music (he has a Saturday radio slot on XFM), that won't stop him giving the necessary respect to the clubbing lifestyle on The Dog's Balearics.

In fact, he is a nice Irish Catholic lad in essence. He still goes to church and remains proud of his roots. 'I may not sound very Irish but cut me open and I bleed green blood.' And just to prove he's not as trendy as you might think, the disclosure of his favourite TV personality is revealing. 'Wogan was my inspiration. He's witty and smart and doesn't take himself seriously. I just wish he wouldn't support the English during the Eurovision Song Contest!'