Truro Big Issue has the ‘X Factor’ after Dermot O’Leary pays a visit

A Truro Big Issue vendor had a visitor with the X Factor this week when TV host Dermot O’Leary popped by his pitch.

Veteran seller Nick Cuthbert, 52, ran into friend of The Big Issue Dermot on his pitch outside M&S in the Cornish city on June 29 after the telly frontman attended a promotional event at the store.

Big-hearted Dermot took time out of his hectic schedule to stop and chat to Nick, who has been selling the magazine in Truro for 15 years, about the pair’s shared love of canine companions.

Chocolate labrador Bryony has been at Nick’s side for almost a decade and she was thrilled with the attention from Dermot.

“It was good to see Dermot, he was really down to earth,” said Nick. “He knelt down with the dog and stayed with me for about 10 minutes, mostly talking about dogs and the dogs we’ve lost over the years and how much that hurt.

“I told him how much dogs mean to Big Issue vendors like me – dogs are our life.”

The brush with stardom is an unfamiliar one for Nick – but his faithful hound Bryony soon adapted to the situation to lap up the limelight as the pair posed for snaps with Dermot.

“He asked me about how I got into selling The Big Issue and stuff like that,” said Nick. “He was very good and there were lots of people, quite a few women, around us taking photos while we talked. Obviously, I’m not too used to that.

“I don’t get too many celebrities on my pitch, although a few live in the area. But Bryony was certainly enjoying the attention from Dermot.”

Image: Steve Carter