From childhood ad actor to Britain’s highest-paid chat show host, Jonathan Ross (or ‘Wossy’, as he is commonly known) is Britain’s king of the airwaves and a treasure trove of trivia. Did you know…
By Paul Barfoot
Media debut
Jonathan’s first brush with the British media was as a ten-year-old schoolboy advertising Rice Krispies cereal in1970. The geeky-looking youngster was a rather quirky casting choice to front the popular breakfast brand, but maybe the producers spotted the media mogul potential in the miniature Ross. Check out the vintage ‘snap, crackle and pop’ Wossy here.
TV pioneer
Ross is regarded as spearheading the style shift of UK chat shows in the late 80s – from linear conversation, to a more edgy magazine-style format. In 1987, Ross set up his Channel X production company to create his alternative chat show vision, and ‘Last Resort with Jonathan Ross’ aired to great success shortly after. He was not intended to be the show’s presenter, but when an appropriate host was hard to come by, Ross stepped in and discovered his natural talent as a broadcasting frontman.
From cash-low to cash-flow
Despite Channel X’s profitability, Ross walked away from his TV production venture for personal reasons in 1995 totally short changed. “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,” he explained to the Guardian newspaper in 1998.
Movie man
Jonathan has a long-term love affair with the flicks, and claimed: “As a youth when most of my friends were dreaming about being Sylvester Stallone or Michael Caine, I wanted to be Barry Norman.” His dream came true in 1999 when he took over Norman’s throne as presenter of the BBC’s flagship movie review show, which he still hosts. Ross told ‘Sight and Sound’ magazine that his top three all-time cinema faves were ‘Duck Soup’ (1933), ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (1950) and ‘Ikiru’ (1952). Surprisingly, ‘Shrek 2’ did not make the list, given that Ross himself provided the voice of the ugly step sister in the UK version of the film.
Animation geek
Wossy loves comic books. So much so, that he once co-owned a comic shop in London’s Soho and takes every opportunity to bond with other celebrity comic fans. After a recent appearance on ‘Friday Night With Jonathan Ross’, Eminem went home with Jonathan to flick through his collection, and Wossy gifted the superstar with a rare copy of ‘Avengers 3’. Jonathan also named the second of his three children – Harvey Kirby – after one of his favourite comic book creators – Jack Kirby.
Royal approval
In 2005, Jonathan was awarded an OBE for his services to broadcasting. In true contentious style, he celebrated his new stately title by playing ‘God Save the Queen’ by The Sex Pistols on his BBC Radio 2 show.
Controversial suspension
Jonathan’s risqué broadcasting style has made him somewhat of a controversy magnet. His biggest public shaming was for what was dubbed ‘Sachsgate’ in 2008. Ross and fellow broadcaster, Russell Brand, left lewd messages on ‘Fawlty Towers’ star Andrew Sachs' answerphone, claiming Russell had slept with his granddaughter. The bad-taste prank on Brand’s BBC Radio 2 show culminated in Ross being suspended without pay for three months and Brand resigning from his post.
Dressed to kill
Ross recently had another dressing down – this time for his lack of style. His signature flamboyant fashion sense earned him the title of ‘Worst-dressed Man 2009’ in ‘GQ’ magazine. “Even if you do laugh at his jokes, his clothes make you cry,” teased the columnist Tony Parsons.
From worst to best
Despite being a fashion faux pas list favourite, Jonathan can also boast a catalogue of more desirable chart-topping successes and awards. In 2004, he was named the showbiz dad that most fathers identified with, and was voted the sexiest male voice on UK radio in survey conducted by a condom manufacturer.
