Simon Cowell's X Factor parties

Simon Cowell holds parties in his changing room after 'The X Factor'.

Dermot O'Leary - who hosts the ITV1 show - revealed he even bumped into Prince Harry in the 51-year-old music mogul's dressing room on one occasion, but the young royal was less than complimentary about his presenting skills.

He explained: "After the show it was fun. Especially Simon's dressing room. You never knew what to expect when you walked in - it could be a party.

"Simon has the best guests. I've bumped into Prince Harry in Simon's dressing room from time to time. He said I was doing a good job but he preferred Ant and Dec, then he burst out laughing. I thought, "I can't believe Prince Harry is scoring points on me!"

Despite the controversy surrounding last year's 'X Factor' - which saw judge Cheryl Cole refuse to pick between which of her acts to save one week - Dermot thinks the ITV1 show exercises the "greatest democracy on TV".

He added: "For me, it's an entertainment show and it's the greatest democracy on TV. The format has always been crystal clear. People vote and then the judges choose from the bottom two. It's that simple.

"I think the judges should be able to opt out. I think it stinks when you have to choose between your own acts - I wouldn't do it if I were them. Cheryl wasn't the first to opt out - Sharon once walked off the show for about five minutes."