Dermot O’Leary was previously bullied during his younger years for being Irish.
The 48-year-old This Morning star has been a firm favourite on television screens for years.
But during a chat in 2014, Dermot revealed that he was “teased mercilessly” whilst at college.
Dermot O’Leary on being bullied at school
Dermot explained that the bullying began at his sixth-from college when Ireland played against England in football in 1990.
In the end, the match ended in the 1-1 draw.
Dermot’s parents – Seán and Maria – are from southeast Ireland.
I got teased mercilessly
Speaking on the Irishman Abroad podcast, he shared: “I remember getting teased mercilessly at college, sixth form college I was at. I remember Ireland played England and I got teased mercilessly.
“I was – and am – a very proud Irishman. But all that week leading up to it I got slaughtered, and some of it wasn’t nice.”
The host went on to admit that while he sounds English, he often slips into an Irish dialect around his parents.
Read more: Who are the This Morning presenters?
But thankfully, Dermot’s parents were never treated differently.
The host added: “My parents were always accepted very much over here, and my parents came over in the age of, ‘no dogs, no blacks, no Irish’.
“And my dad is from good old Republican stock, and they were welcomed – maybe not with open arms – but they never found any problem coming over here.”
What has Dermot previously said about his parents?
It certainly isn’t the first time Dermot has opened up about his family.
The former X Factor host previously paid tribute to his parents on Instagram in 2017.
It followed shortly after Seán and Maria decided to move back to Ireland, following 50 years in England.
View this post on Instagram
Dermot’s parents moved back to their native of County Wexford.
In the post, the star explained that his parents were over in England for a visit.
He wrote at the time: “Squeezed in a last visit and supper to O’Leary HQ before Mam and Dad take the trip back to Wexford. They’ve loved it here.
Read more: This Morning viewers ‘utterly disgusted’ by sex slot: ‘This is ridiculous!’
“Since they’ve moved in 68 the people have been nothing but kind, welcoming and generous to them in a time when it wasn’t easy to be Irish in Britain. But, home calls. So thanks Maria and Sean, for being brave enough to pack up as kids, leave your homes, loved ones and move somewhere no one knows you.”
Dermot concluded: “Here’s to all our parents, and what they do for us. Your daughter has a PHD, your son… well he talks out loud for a living, but let’s gloss over that.”
Meanwhile, in March last year, Dermot’s parents surprised the host on This Morning.
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.