This is an accepted version of this page Jonathan Stephen Ross (born 17 November 1960)[1] is an English broadcaster, film critic, comedian, actor, writer, and producer.

[17] The two men 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.

[18] While the series was initially a co-production with Colin Callender, ownership transferred to Marke and Ross, meaning that the latter retained a great deal of control as well as being presenter.

A year later, his documentary series The Incredibly Strange Film Show introduced many to the works of cult filmmakers like Sam Raimi and Jackie Chan.

[20] In 1990 and 1991, his television documentary series Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only[21] profiled and interviewed directors including Alejandro Jodorowsky, David Lynch, Aki Kaurismäki and in 2014, the Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar.

[22] In 1989, he co-presented the biennial BBC charity telethon Comic Relief, the same year he launched One Hour with Jonathan Ross a short lived chat show on Channel 4.

Its game show segment, "Knock down ginger", introduced comedians such as Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson to television.

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.

He took over presenting of the Film programme, the BBC's long-running cinema review series, in 1999 after Barry Norman left the show.

In early 2006, Ross announced that after eight years he was quitting his regular panellist seat on the sport/comedy quiz show They Think It's All Over explaining: "I need time now to focus on my other commitments and so regrettably I won't be back for the 20th series."

The three-part documentary followed Ross as he explored the film industry in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, interviewing directors and showcasing clips.

His interest in East Asian culture and his self-confessed love for Japanese anime and video games led him to making three series of BBC Three show Japanorama, as well as producing another television series for the same channel called Adam and Joe Go Tokyo, starring Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish.

On 7 July 2007, Ross co-presented (with Graham Norton) BBC television coverage of the Live Earth climate change awareness concerts, which became the subject of controversy due to the foul language used by performers including Phil Collins,Madonna and Johnny Borrell, resulting in one of Ofcom's toughest sanctions to date on the BBC.

[38] On 3 August 2008, he hosted Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad's Army, a BBC One tribute to the sitcom set during World War II.

[39] In 2010, Ross took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at The O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

[42][43][44][45] Ross said that while he "had a wonderful time working for the BBC" he had "decided not to re-negotiate when my current contract comes to an end," a choice which was "not financially motivated".

Ross's final Friday Night chat show episode aired on 16 July 2010, with David Beckham, Jackie Chan, Mickey Rourke, and Roxy Music as guests.

Ross ended the show with an affectionate tribute to his guests and to the audience, while mentioning that he had promised Morrissey that he would remain composed and "wouldn't cry."

[61][62] Ross made his debut appearance on Celebrity Gogglebox on 2 July 2021, and was joined by his son, Harvey, daughter Honey and her boyfriend.

[63] In March 2023, Ross replaced Andrew Collins as presenter of the weekly radio show Saturday Night at the Movies on Classic FM.

[71] The glam art rock band Roxy Music are one of his all-time favourite acts and were invited to perform on the final episode of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.

He contributed his early memories of the series, which included the 1968 serial The Invasion, to a book which raised funds for Alzheimer's Research UK.

[82] On 5 December 2007, Ross joked at the British Comedy Awards that his salary meant that he was "apparently worth 1,000 BBC journalists".

His quip came shortly after the BBC had announced plans for more than 2,000 job cuts, and was condemned as "obscene" by the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists.

[84] The BBC Trust ruled that Ross's interview with American actress Gwyneth Paltrow, broadcast on 2 May 2008, breached editorial guidelines.

[92] On 13 May 2009, Ross was accused of homophobia after a comment he made on his radio show,[93] in which he said, If your son asks for a Hannah Montana MP3 player, then you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption in later life, when they settle down with their partner.

[94] An incorrect version of this quote was also circulated, in which Ross was accused of saying: If your son asks for a Hannah Montana MP3 player, you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption before he brings his ... erm ... partner home.

They wrote in their opinion that "the comment was clearly presented as a joke intended to make light of the reactions that some parents may have if their child chooses a toy that is very widely recognised to be designed and marketed for the opposite sex" and that the nature of the joke and tone and manner in which it was presented "made clear that it was not intended to be hostile or pejorative towards the gay community in general.

"[94] Stonewall criticised the ruling; saying "the fact that a comment is light-hearted does not absolve it from perpetuating the stereotypes that lead to homophobic bullying.

This generated angry criticism from members of science fiction fandom who objected to the idea, citing Ross's record of controversial statements and actions.