Dermot O'Leary will be back fronting The X Factor for a sixth consecutive year, ITV bosses have confirmed today.

The popular presenter has seen the judging panel go through all sorts of incarnations from Simon Cowell, to Louis Walsh, to Dannii Minogue, to Cheryl Cole to Gary Barlow, but Dermot and his snappy suits have been a constant throughout the series, and so it will remain.

O'Leary said today: "I'm delighted to be returning to The X Factor as I just love the gig. I hope The X Factor 2012 continues to bring a sense of fun to Saturday and Sunday nights and gives the nation a show that they can laugh, cry and sometimes scream at!"

Simon Cowell says: "Dermot has done a brilliant job for the past five years - he is Mr X Factor!"

And Peter Fincham, ITV's Director of Television, says: "Dermot is a class act; we're delighted to have him as the host of The X Factor. He's a valuable part of what makes the show popular with viewers."

MORE: Tulisa Confirmed To Return As Judge... Despite Scandal

The X Factor is open to singers and groups who are 16 and over and, in a change from the original format, acts can now enter whether or not they've had any kind of management deal, either now or in the past.

The show will be back on TV screens this summer. Keep posted for the inevitable jamboree of reports concerning who will be in the judges' seats by then. Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh and Tulisa Contostavlos will also return, but there is one tantalising seat remaining...