Jonathan Ross quits the BBC
Story by Jack Foley
JONATHAN Ross has announced he is to leave the BBC after 13 years.
The radio presenter, celebrity chat show host and Film 2010 critic issued a statement on Thursday morning (January 7, 2010) stating that after two weeks of deliberation he had decided not to re-negotiate his contract when it ends in July, in six months’ time.
Maintaining that the decision was not “financially motivated”, Ross told reporters outside his home that he intended to make the best shows of his career with the BBC before bidding the corporation a fond farewell.
Ross, 49, is one of the BBC’s highest paid stars – and one of its most charismatic and controversial.
He is now renowned for the Sachs-gate scandal that swept the nation in 2008 when he was suspended for making a series of phone calls to actor Andrew Sachs on Russell Brand’s Radio 2 show.
But he is also extremely popular, regularly attracting the cream of celebrity talent to his Friday night chat show and being the BBC’s voice of film since replacing Barry Norman on the Film review programmes.
Speaking outside his home to reporters, Ross said: “It’s probably not a bad time for me to move on – and it’s probably not a bad time for the BBC, either. I’ve got six months left, and I’m hoping to make the best shows of my career with them.”
He continued: “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.”
Ross did pledge to continue working for the BBC until the summer and will continue hosting the Bafta Film Awards, Comic Relief and other BBC specials.
Jana Bennett, director of BBC Vision, told the BBC website that she understood the decision as it followed “a difficult year” for the presenter.
She paid tribute to his talents, describing him as an “extremely talented broadcaster” and adding that all of his programmes had been a “great success” for the corporation.