Dermot O'Leary has signed up to return to The X Factor, hosting the show for a sixth series.

The popular presenter is the latest addition to the line-up for the programme which returns later this year, with auditions beginning next week.

Show boss Simon Cowell said: "Dermot has done a brilliant job for the past five years - he is Mr X Factor."

Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh and Tulisa Contostavlos will return to the panel with the fourth position yet to be filled with less than a week before the judges head out on the road to see the hopefuls.

Dermot said: "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."

ITV director of television Peter Fincham said: "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."