Olly Murs to co-host Xtra Factor
X Factor star Olly Murs has landed a role as presenter of the hit show's spin-off series. The chart star - who came runner-up to Joe McElderry in 2009 - will host ITV2's Xtra Factor later this year, along with Caroline Flack. Konnie Huq, who hosted the programme for one series, parted company from the show earlier this year. There had been criticism of her performance, but she was said to have other projects on the go. Olly's last-minute addition to the line-up caught many by surprise as Radio 1 host Matt Edmondson was reported to have landed the role. Filming begins on Wednesday in Birmingham with the first of the X Factor auditions. Matt joked that he had been all set to attend. In a message on Twitter, he said: "Got my bag packed, train tickets booked to Birmingham, copy of Simon's autobiography! Can't wait!... What's that you say? OLLY MURS?!??!?!" He added: "Thank God I'm still in the running for Countdown." The latest confirmation of personnel comes just days after the new judging panel for the ITV1 talent series was unveiled. Joining regular Louis Walsh are Take That's Gary Barlow, Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland and N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos. Cheryl Cole, who was axed from Simon Cowell's US version of the X Factor just days after she started, is not returning. Olly said: "I'm so excited to be joining the Xtra Factor with Caroline. The X Factor is the show that put me where I am so I'm chuffed to be involved again - this time to work on it from the other side and see some new stars coming through."
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.