Prince William asked Dermot O'Leary for a hug.

Dermot O'Leary

Dermot O'Leary

The British television presenter has revealed the 35-year-old royal requested one of the famous "Dermot hugs" he hands out to rejected 'X Factor' contestants when they met at the Pride of Britain Awards last year alongside the talent show's judges, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh.

Speaking about meeting the prince at the award ceremony, he told The Sun newspaper: "Everyone who's getting an award meets the royals. When it was Prince Charles, there was more of a semi-circle with everyone waiting to shake his hand, but William was more chilled and was saying hello to everyone. Nicole told him her code name in the Pussycat Dolls was Prince William, which he loved. Then he came to me and said, 'You know what I need? I need a Dermot hug.' And I said, 'Right, bring it on.' So we had a hug and he went, 'Oh that's a good hug, and it's important to hug.' If he was briefed he was exceptionally well briefed. It was a touching moment, we brought it in together. He's a good hugger."

It comes after Prince William revealed he had been inspired by a five-year-old girl - who he met at the Pride of Britain Awards - and was planning to teach Prince George to always call 999 in an emergency. Suzie McCash, five, saved her mother's life by calling the emergency phone number when she was taken ill.

William - who also has two-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte and is expecting a third with wife Duchess Catherine - said: "I have a four-year-old called George and if I gave him a telephone I do not know what he would do. And do you know what I'm going to have a conversation with my George about what to do because of what you've done. It's really important."

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