[Archive 2010-01-07] Jonathan Ross announces departure from BBC

Historical archive — originally published 2010-01-07. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

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.

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.

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