Jonathan Ross
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Jonathan Stephen Ross OBE (born November 17, 1960) is an English television and radio presenter, and film critic. In 2005 he was named "Most Powerful man on the Radio" by Radio Times magazine.
Broadcast career
Ross began his career as a researcher on the Channel 4 show Loose Talk. After leaving this, he worked on various other shows before beginning another research job on Solid Soul. On that programmme, he met fellow researcher Alan Marke, and the two devised what would prove to be a breakthrough hit for Ross in 1987, The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross. The pair based their concept on the successful American show Late Night with David Letterman, and formed a new production company called Channel X, to produce a pilot. While the series eventually became a co-production with Colin Callender, ownership remained with Marke and Ross, meaning that the latter retained a great deal of control as well as being presenter [1]. The show proved popular for both Ross and for Channel 4, making him one of the major personalities on the channel.
A year later, his documentary series The Incredibly Strange Film Show introduced many to the works of cult film-makers like Sam Raimi and Jackie Chan.
In 1989 he co-presented the biennial BBC charity telethon Comic Relief, and, in 1991, he presented the annual British Comedy Awards on ITV. He has presented each year since, and still does to this day.
Ross presented and appeared in numerous television entertainment programmes on several channels throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He was a regular panellist on the sports quiz They Think It's All Over, and hosted the panel game It's Only TV...But I Like It. Other projects were the BBC joke-quiz Gagtag; the Channel 4 variety show Saturday Zoo; new acts showcase The Big Big Talent Show; and the ITV programme Fantastic Facts.
Taking over presenting of The Film programme in 1999, he began making cameo appearances, playing himself in the Spice Girls' film Spiceworld (1997) and voicing a character in the UK version of Shrek 2 (2004). He played himself in Only Fools And Horses, presenting a fictional television quiz on which the main character, Delboy, was a contestant. He also appeared in television commercials for Pizza Hut (with Caprice) and Harp Lager.
In 2005, Ross anchored the BBC television coverage of the Live 8 concerts.
in 2007, Ross will voice Doris in the British version of Shrek the Third.
Ross founded the production company Channel X with Alan Marke in 1987, which went on to produce such successes as The Last Resort, The Incredibly Strange Film Show and One Hour With Jonathan Ross [2]. However, in 1995 he left, despite its profitable nature. He was quoted in a 1998 article as stating:
- It was to do with a deliberate change in my life, moving away from TV as the core of my existence to focus on my family more. So I had to give up everything to do with Channel X, and I literally got only £1 for my share, which was unbelievable.[3]
On December 9, 2005, on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, he claimed that in January he would be playing a Cyberman in the 2006 series of Doctor Who. However, this claim has not been corroborated by any other sources. [citation needed]
Ross was the subject of controversy in June 2006 due to a line of questioning regarding masturbation and Margaret Thatcher to the Conservative party leader David Cameron during an inteview on the Friday Night programme.
He recently performed in Childrens Party At The Palace for Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday.
On radio, he has presented shows for BBC Radio 1 and Virgin Radio (having previously worked on Richard Branson's earlier venture, Radio Radio), as well as the now-defunct commercial radio network service The Super Station, where his producer was Chris Evans.
He has made two series of BBC Three show Japanorama, and also produced, through his production company Hot Sauce, another series for the same channel called Adam and Joe Go Tokyo, starring Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish.
In January 2006 he presented Jonathan Ross' Asian Invasion, broadcast on BBC Four. The three-part documentary followed Ross as he explored the film industry in Japan, Hong Kong and Korea, interviewing directors and showcasing clips.In March 2006 he guest-hosted an episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks. On September 26, 2006 Ross was a guest on E4 show Russell Brand's Got Issues where he appeared dressed in flamboyant garb similar to that of its eponymous host. [1]
Ross was enlisted to ask the first question since the transition from beta for the Yahoo Answers in UK and Ireland. You can see the answer here.
BBC contract
In April 2006, Ross, along with other BBC personalities[2], had details of his fees leaked to the tabloid press. It was claimed by an, at the time, unidentified BBC mole[3], that Ross then earned £530,000 (equivalent to £10,000 per show) per year for hosting his Radio 2 show. This was a controversial revelation. For some, the BBC was abusing its dominant position over commercial rivals in paying popular personalities such high fees, and for others debasing its public service remit. While refusing to comment specifically on the leak in line with the BBC policy on the matter, Ross did hint during his radio show that the figure was exaggerated; in addition to this, any pay highlighted as being 'his' would actually be split between himself and his producer/co-presenter on the show, Andy Davies.
The following June, Ross became the highest paid television personality in Britain, when a new BBC contract[4] secured his services until 2010, for a reported £18 million.
Current activities
On radio, Ross presents a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2, which he has presented since 1999. On television, he continues to host the successful BBC One chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, and Film 2006, the BBC's long-running cinema review programme.
Biography
Ross was born in Leytonstone, London. His older brother is Paul Ross, also a television presenter, while two other brothers, Miles and Simon, are both TV producers. His younger brother Adam and younger sister Lisa both work in the media[2], while his mother, Martha, has been an extra in BBC soap opera EastEnders (as a market stallholder) since the show began in 1985.
He studied history at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (now merged with University College London (UCL)). He also went to the Southampton Institute (now Southampton Solent University)[citation needed].
Ross married author and journalist Jane Goldman in 1988, when Goldman was in her late teens. They have since had three children: Betty Kitten, Harvey Kirby (named after Jack Kirby and Harvey Kurtzman, two comic book creators whom Ross especially admires) and Honey Kinney.
Ross is also known for owning exotic pets, and is a big fan of David Bowie, British punk rock, Star Trek, Doctor Who, anime and comic books. Ross has even co-owned a comic shop in London with Paul Gambaccini. He was also the visual inspiration for the main character in the comic book Saviour.
He is a fan of the band They Might Be Giants, and appeared on stage with them during their most recent UK tour.
In 2005, Ross was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting. He celebrated the news by playing "God Save the Queen" by The Sex Pistols (which was banned by the BBC when released in 1977) on his Radio 2 Saturday morning show. On June 21, 2006 Ross was made a Fellow of UCL, his alma mater.
Ross's latest announcement is that he is quitting his regular panellist seat on the BBC TV sport/comedy quiz show They Think It's All Over, stating:
- I’ve had a great time on They Think It's All Over, imparting my vast sporting knowledge to the nation, but I need time now to focus on my other commitments and so regrettably I won't be back for the 20th series. It's a fantastic show and from now on I'll be able to actually watch it.
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Ross speaks with a rhotacism, causing him to pronounce the consonant 'r' like a 'w', which has led to the British tabloid newspapers dubbing him "Wossy".
He is also known for his flamboyant dress sense and regularly wins awards for being the best and worst-dressed celebrity (when he appeared on the series Room 101, his own dress sense was one of the things he wished to banish). Ross was even blamed for a textile workers' strike in 1988 — David Cope, a sales director for a dyeing operation, made the claim: "Ever since that trendy Jonathan Ross started wearing his big, baggy suits on television, he set a fashion that has been extremely lucrative for the British cotton industry [...] the textile workers now want a share of those profits." [1] Ross is also well known for his distinctive long hairstyle, which creates mixed emotions in many viewers. Recently, however, he has had it cut shorter somewhat.
He was described as "one of the funniest men in the country" by his close friend, the comedian David Baddiel (despite the fact that Ross has never strictly been a comic).
Trivia
- In an episode of Film 2006, broadcast in the UK on 30th October 2006, he claimed that he had appeared as an extra in the 1981 movie 'The Rise and Fall of Idi Amin', as an Israeli soldier raiding Entebbe airport.
- He sold his share in Channel X (which he co-founded) for £1 in 1995.
- He was born the day after Gilbert Harding, the English journalist and radio and television personality, died.
- He shares his birthday with one of his heroes, the late comedian Peter Cook, with whom Ross worked for many years.
- Was the original choice to host TFI Friday, which later went to Chris Evans.
- Voted Sexiest Male Voice in Radio in a poll by Trojan condoms.
- Bought Ricky Gervais a kitten after Gervais' previous cat died. The cat's name is Ollie and was presented to him on an episode of Ross' talk show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.
- Ross was one of the special celebrity guests in the final episode of Ricky Gervais' second season of Extras, in which Gervais' character, Andy Millman, and Ross were shown to be the best of friends after a fictional appearance on the Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.
- Ross provided the voiceover for the Official FIA Formula One Season Review of 1993