Jonathan Ross announces departure from BBC

January 7, 2010

Television presenter and BBC Radio 2 disc jockey Jonathan Ross has announced his departure from the British Broadcasting Corporation. Ross currently presents his own chat show, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, as well as presenting his own programme and The Film programme on BBC Radio 2. He has decided to leave the corporation when his contract ends in July 2010. The contract was reported to have a value of £18,000,000 over the space of three years, however this has not been confirmed by the BBC.

Ross, who has been working with the BBC since 1996, spoke to news reporters outside his house. "It's probably not a bad time for me to move on &mdash; and it's probably not a bad time for the BBC, either," he stated. "I've got six months left, I'm hoping to make the best shows of my career with them." This information emerges one day after the announcement came that another BBC talk show host, Graham Norton, had signed a deal for two years with the BBC. Rumours began to mount in the newspapers that Norton would soon take over Ross' television slot. Alan Yentob, the BBC's Creative Director, said that "[y]ou don't need to compare Graham with Jonathan Ross. No decisions have been taken with that slot."

In 2008, Ross was involved in the infamous incident involving Russell Brand and himself leaving obscene messages to actor Andrew Sachs via a voicemail service. Regarding his departure from the BBC, Jonathan said: "Although I have had a wonderful time working for the BBC, and am very proud of the shows I have made while there, over the last two weeks I have decided not to re-negotiate when my current contract comes to an end. While there, I have worked with some of the nicest and most talented people in the industry and had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest stars in the world, and am grateful to the BBC for such a marvellous experience. I would like to make it perfectly clear that no negotiations ever took place and that my decision is not financially motivated.

"As I have said before &mdash; I would happily have stayed there for any fee they cared to offer, but there were other considerations. I love making my Friday night talk show, my Saturday morning radio show and the Film Programme, and will miss them all.  Working at the BBC has been a tremendous privilege, and I would like to thank everyone who has watched and listened so loyally over the last 13 years."