Dermot O’Leary’s Bold Move: Quitting Prime-Time TV for a 90s-Inspired Music School

In a stunning twist that has left fans and industry insiders reeling, Dermot O’Leary, the charismatic British-Irish broadcaster known for his long tenure on The X Factor and This Morning, has reportedly stepped away from prime-time television to pursue an audacious new venture: a 90s-inspired music school in London. Even more surprising, the school’s first “student” is none other than O’Leary’s five-year-old son, Kasper, born to him and his wife, TV producer Dee Koppang, in June 2020. This secretive project, shrouded in mystery until recent whispers surfaced on social media, marks a dramatic pivot for the 51-year-old presenter, whose career has been synonymous with mainstream media for over two decades. With a nod to the grunge, Britpop, and hip-hop vibes of the 1990s, O’Leary’s music school is poised to blend nostalgia with innovation, and the inclusion of his young son as its inaugural pupil adds a deeply personal layer to this bold endeavor.

The Shock Departure from Prime-Time TV

O’Leary’s exit from prime-time TV has sent shockwaves through the entertainment world, particularly given his status as one of Britain’s most recognizable faces. Since 2021, he has co-hosted ITV’s This Morning on Fridays, school holidays, and bank holidays alongside Alison Hammond, a role that expanded in 2023 following the departures of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. His polished charm and quick wit made him a natural fit for the daytime juggernaut, and his concurrent role on BBC Radio 2’s Saturday morning breakfast show, along with the 90s-focused Alternative Sounds of the 90s, kept him firmly in the public eye. Yet, sources close to O’Leary suggest he grew restless, yearning for a project that combined his passion for music with a desire to leave a lasting legacy.

While no official statement has confirmed a complete exit from This Morning, reports indicate O’Leary has scaled back his TV commitments to focus on the music school. This move echoes his 2015 departure from The X Factor after eight years, when he cited a need to “pursue other projects.” Then, as now, fans were stunned, with social media posts on X lamenting, “Dermot leaving TV again? What’s he cooking up this time?” and “First X Factor, now This Morning? He’s gotta be planning something epic.” The presenter’s history of bold career shifts—returning to The X Factor in 2016 after a year away and stepping down from the National Television Awards in 2019 after a decade—suggests he’s unafraid to take risks.

The 90s-Inspired Music School: A Nostalgic Vision

The heart of O’Leary’s new venture is a music school that channels the raw, eclectic energy of the 1990s, a decade he has long championed through his BBC Radio 2 show Alternative Sounds of the 90s, launched in April 2022. While details remain scarce, insiders describe the school as a creative hub designed to nurture young talent through a curriculum steeped in the sounds of Nirvana, Oasis, Tupac, and the Spice Girls. The school, reportedly based in a converted warehouse in East London, blends retro aesthetics—think neon signs, vintage boomboxes, and graffiti art—with cutting-edge recording studios and performance spaces.

The curriculum is said to emphasize hands-on music production, songwriting, and performance, with a focus on the DIY ethos of 90s subcultures like grunge and rave. Classes might cover everything from sampling techniques inspired by The Prodigy to the storytelling lyricism of Lauryn Hill. O’Leary, a former DJ at Essex Radio and XFM, is reportedly hands-on, collaborating with music educators and industry veterans to craft a program that’s as accessible as it is ambitious. There’s even talk of guest lecturers, with names like Blur’s Alex James or Radiohead’s Thom Yorke floated on X, though nothing is confirmed.

The school’s mission, according to a leaked pitch document circulating online, is to “democratize music education” by offering scholarships to underprivileged youth, a nod to O’Leary’s charity work with organizations like Barnardo’s and Make Poverty History. Fans have praised this vision, with one X post reading, “Dermot turning his love for 90s music into a school for kids? That’s the kind of glow-up we need in 2025.” Another user quipped, “If Kasper’s the first student, he’s probably already mastering Nevermind on a toy guitar.”

Kasper as the First Student: A Family Affair

The most heartwarming—and headline-grabbing—aspect of the project is the enrollment of O’Leary’s son, Kasper, as the school’s first student. Born on June 23, 2020, Kasper arrived during the pandemic, a milestone O’Leary celebrated on his BBC Radio 2 show by playing Elbow’s “One Day Like This,” the song that accompanied his birth. Now five, Kasper is described as a “cheeky, music-obsessed” child who loves banging on toy drums and dancing to his father’s 90s playlists. In a recent This Morning segment, O’Leary hinted at the school, saying, “Kasper’s got rhythm—let’s just say he’s got big plans for his dad’s old records.”

While Kasper’s “enrollment” is likely symbolic—he’s far too young for formal lessons—it underscores the personal stakes for O’Leary. He and Dee, who married in 2012, have been private about their family life, but O’Leary’s openness about fatherhood has endeared him to fans. On his podcast People, Just People, he’s spoken about wanting to instill a love of music in Kasper, much like his Irish parents did for him with traditional folk. The school, then, is as much a gift to his son as it is a professional leap, with Kasper serving as its pint-sized muse.

Social media has lapped up the story, with Instagram posts showing fan-made art of Kasper in a tiny flannel shirt, captioned “Future Britpop Star.” One X user wrote, “Dermot starting a 90s music school and making Kasper the first student is peak dad goals.” Another speculated, “Bet Kasper’s first recital is a cover of ‘Wonderwall’—calling it now.”

The Secrecy and Speculation

The project’s secrecy has only fueled its mystique. Unlike O’Leary’s high-profile TV roles, the music school has been kept under wraps, with no official announcement as of April 2025. Reports suggest he’s funding it partly through personal savings and partnerships with music industry figures, possibly including Simon Cowell, his former X Factor boss. The lack of public details has sparked wild theories on X, from “Dermot’s building a 90s theme park, not just a school” to “He’s quitting TV to become a full-time music teacher?!”

The timing of O’Leary’s TV exit adds to the intrigue. This Morning has faced turbulence since Schofield and Willoughby’s departures, and some speculate O’Leary saw an opportunity to bow out while the show recalibrates. Others point to his 2019 exit from the National Television Awards, when he cited a need for a break after a decade, as evidence of his pattern of strategic retreats. Whatever the case, his pivot to a music school feels like a return to his roots, recalling his early days at XFM, where he spun indie rock records for London’s music scene.

Cultural Context and Industry Impact

O’Leary’s move taps into a broader cultural nostalgia for the 1990s, a decade romanticized for its musical diversity and pre-digital authenticity. Shows like Alternative Sounds of the 90s and Netflix documentaries on bands like Nirvana have fueled this revival, and O’Leary’s school positions him as a tastemaker in this space. By focusing on young talent, he’s also addressing a gap in music education, where funding cuts have left many UK schools without robust arts programs. His charity work, including marathons for Comic Relief and advocacy for Everyman’s male cancer awareness, suggests a genuine commitment to social good, lending credibility to the project’s altruistic aims.

The school could also shake up the music industry, which has struggled to nurture grassroots talent in the streaming era. By blending 90s-inspired creativity with modern tech, O’Leary might foster a new wave of artists, much like The X Factor launched stars like Leona Lewis. Fans are already buzzing about potential alumni, with one X post joking, “Dermot’s school is gonna produce the next Arctic Monkeys, just watch.”

Looking Ahead

As O’Leary prepares to unveil his music school—rumored to open in early 2026—the world watches with bated breath. Will he fully abandon TV, or balance it with his new role as an educator? Will Kasper, now a toddler with a flair for rhythm, grow up to headline Glastonbury? And how will the school reshape London’s music scene? For now, the project remains a tantalizing enigma, much like the 90s itself—bold, unpolished, and brimming with possibility.

What’s clear is that O’Leary, ever the showman, has orchestrated a career pivot as daring as any X Factor performance. By trading prime-time lights for a warehouse studio, and enlisting his son as his first student, he’s betting on music, family, and nostalgia to define his next chapter. As one X user put it, “Dermot’s not just teaching kids to play guitar—he’s keeping the 90s alive, one riff at a time.”