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BBC lets Jonathan Ross keep his £6m-a-year job
Amar Singh and Nicholas Cecil21 Nov 2008
THE BBC faced growing anger today after Jonathan Ross was cleared to return to his £6million-a-year job.
The disgraced presenter, 48, will face no further action for his part in obscene telephone calls to actor Andrew Sachs, despite the BBC Trust condemning his conduct as "deplorable" and "unjustifiably offensive".
Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons said Ross, who has a three-year £18million contract, had been "held to account" by being suspended for three months.
The Trust, delivering its report into the controversy, concluded that the phone calls in which Ross told Sachs, 78, in a voicemail message that Russell Brand had "f***ed" his 23-year-old granddaughter should never have been made or broadcast.
The controller of Radio 2, Lesley Douglas, had been told about the programme's content by the head of compliance, who said it was "very funny", and did nothing to stop its broadcast on Brand's show. Sir Michael said: "The Trust is in no doubt that the ultimate responsibility rests with the BBC. It is the editorial management who are accountable for what the BBC broadcasts."
The Trust also criticised Ross for using the F-word "in a sexual context" in separate interviews with Michael Aspel and Gwyneth Paltrow during his Friday night show. It said the language was "gratuitous and not editorially justified".
However, MPs said the BBC and governing BBC Trust had not gone far enough and needed to take decisive action against Ross, whose suspension without pay ends in January. Shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said today's judgment ignored the "fundamental issue" of putting quality programming ahead of ratings. Liberal Democrat Phil Willis said: "Once again the BBC has demonstrated that it is one law for its highly-paid stars and one law for everyone else."
The BBC Trust also revealed that all BBC executives are to waive their bonuses this year because of the "current economic climate".
Reader views (33)
I cant see what all the fuss is about. Nobody died.
- Heather Cheese, Bristol England, 30/11/2008 10:26
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Jonathan has kept his job BUT his punisment is that his children would still read about what he's done in years to come!I will NEVER listen to his programme again.Shame on him and his poor family!Man obviously think of himself first. Shame on BBC- they are more concerned about ITV snatching him in front of their eyes.Where is this world going?
- Dr Vicky Baker, London, 29/11/2008 21:54
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Its nice to live on the other side of the world when the UK still has media 'personalities' like him - move on!
- Dom Duncan, Auckland, NZ, 24/11/2008 01:08
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PLEASE let us hear directly from the POLICE why Ross and Brand are not being prosecuted for making obscene telephone calls, the evidence is readily available, they wouldn't even have to get out of their cars to ask questions.
- Jim Harrison, Taunton, Somerset, 23/11/2008 23:55
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Brand resigned. Ross is holding out for a swift return to his £6m salary, with the Beebs apparent blessing. Hypocrites all. Has the BBC got a mandate to supply their audience with quality programming or just to fleece the licence payers by providing tat? Wake up BBC, wake up licence payers!
- Voiceofreason, London, 23/11/2008 22:00
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@ Lindsay
You are very angry aren't you, your comments say much more about you than Ross. I'm only sad that the press have been less determined to see those who let baby P die, this story is about the money and nothing else... jealousy is such a sad motivator.
- Russ, London, 23/11/2008 21:54
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Only in this type of employment would you be allowed to keep your job. I admire Russell Brand for doing the right thing and resigning but Jonathan Ross is to much of a egocentric individual to do something like that. I still remember what he said when the BBC made several of their journalists redundant. I haven't watched or listened to a program of his since.
- Vivienne, Romford Essex, 23/11/2008 21:25
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The last few weeks have been a sweet release from Ross's musings about his sex life, the sexual bullying tactics he uses with pretty much every female guest and the sycophantic hero worship he shows towards the males. But I knew the dirty old man would be back; it was pretty much a foregone conclusion really. How someone can manage to be both talentless and untouchable is beyond me - but you have to hand it to him (and they have, on a plate).
- Lindsay, London, 21/11/2008 16:30
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Certainly time for a house cleaning at the BBC Trust
- Godfrey, London, 21/11/2008 16:26
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Well said Albert - Ross is a desperately unfunny, ageing has-been, well past his sell by date. The BBC is completely out of touch in only a way that a public sector organisation can be. Awash with money in a world where those that fund them are losing their homes. They need time in the real world (aka the private sector) to give them a sense of realism.
- Zady, London, 21/11/2008 16:08
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Very self absorbed and self important. How desperate are the BBC to keep this foul mouthed idiot on his inflated salary.
Sack him as any other company would sack an employee who behaved in this way. His money could be put to building new swimming pools.
- Johnw, Peterborough, Cambs, 21/11/2008 16:02
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No Alex, the difference is that Brand resigned!
- Daveb, London, 21/11/2008 15:57
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I for one will not be watching, or listening to, Jonathon Ross when he returns to the BBC and I am now thinking strongly of choosing not to pay my TV license.
The man is obviously intelligent and witty, but why he should to resort to smut is beyond me.
It is is not what I pay my license for and especially not for the BBC to pay such huge sums to mindless individuals who appear to have no awareness of the wider impacts of their regular sick humour.
- Chris George, Launceston, Cornwall, 21/11/2008 15:48
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Another example of the BBC's contempt of the licence fee payers
- Rm, Poole, England, 21/11/2008 15:47
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Bad decision to keep Ross. No doubt his lawyers threatened to sue the beeb under his employment contract.
- Jon, London, 21/11/2008 15:43
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The bosses at the BBC who approved Ross staying should themselves be sacked. These bosses have ignored the demands of the licence payers and shown us the "two fingers".
- George, London, UK, 21/11/2008 15:41
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Just don't watch his rubbish show, that'll hit them where it hurts.
- Sharon, London, 21/11/2008 15:29
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6 million a year for that talentless nobody who has never done anything for this country,like you Albert, when I think of the people busting a gut working in the health service to save lives,people in the armed forces ,people working in the caring professions, its a crime the inequality of it makes me bitter. Is it any wonder are young people have no work ethic and have a get rich at any cost mentality.
- Kev, London, 21/11/2008 15:29
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Ross is overpaid and very annoying and he can't even host a chat show properly - it's all about HIM. His guests don't get a word in. His salary makes me sick especially in these financially difficult times.
- Dani, Surrey UK, 21/11/2008 15:18
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Can't wait for Jonathan Ross to come back to the screen.
- Torsten, London, 21/11/2008 14:54
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Oh come on, put it into perspective. He made a mistake, he had his suspension, why on earth should he be fired ?? Plus Brand quit, he wasn't fired so it was his choice to walk.
- Louise, Essex, 21/11/2008 14:53
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Disgraceful but entirely predictable behaviour by an organisation which shows little but contempt for its mainstream audiences. The BBC is an anachronistic hangover from the early days of broadcasting; the sooner it is wound up altogether, the better.
- Richard, London, London. UK, 21/11/2008 14:50
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So he's got away with it - what a surprise! It's a disgrace that he will be allowed to just waltz back in and continue as normal after his disgusting comments. His suspension means absolutely nothing to someone making this much money; it's just allowing him to have a nice little holiday. The BBC obviously doesn't care at all about licence fee payers so I hope they won't be disappointed as more and more people cease to view their channels. I for one will not be watching Ross.
- Sixtysomething, North Yorkshire, 21/11/2008 14:29
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Public sector staff never seem to get the push, and the BBC after all said and done, is public sector just like the council.
- P I Staker, London, 21/11/2008 14:27
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So Brand's comments were lewd, disgusting and obscene - and he's out of his job.
Ross's comments were lewd, disgusing and obscene - and he keeps his job.
The difference? £15 million. And the BBC talks about balance!
- Alex, London, 21/11/2008 14:15
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Great news at last.
So Rossi is coming back, hurry up all is forgiven.
I know you went over the top you've had your slap so come on get back on the box, can i suggest as your first guest, MANUEL.
COME ON YOU KNOW IT WOULD MAKE GREAT TV
- Mr S.Port, London, 21/11/2008 13:59
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When I think of those excellent men and women serving in the Armed Services, and fighting, for us, in Iraq and Afghanistan. When I think of those who have given their lives for us and then I think of this talentless, overpaid,foul mouthed moron, Ross. I have only contempt. He has shown his true mark by not resigning. as a man with any honour would have!
Yes he will have some supporters. But this Country was once renowned for decency and fair play. Ross and his supporters have given this Country a very bad name.
- Albert, chingford. essex, 21/11/2008 13:55
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Good to see Ross didn't do the honourable thing.
- Albert Swift, Aberdeen, Scotland, 21/11/2008 13:47
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What a disgrace, Ron Atkinson gets the sack for a comment captured off air when he wasn't meaning to be offensive, just using language that he was brought up on and that Black rap artists use regularly ... yet, this untalented overpaid presenter keeps his job for deliberately being offensive on air.
- John, Windsor, 21/11/2008 13:37
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What this means that is that, in future, any BBC employee facing disciplinary action for "grossly offensive" behaviour needn't worry too much about losing their job.
- Austen, London, 21/11/2008 13:14
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The decision has thus been passed to us, the BBC licence fee payers/viewers: DO NOT WATCH OR LISTEN TO ROSS. The spendthrifts and back-scratchers of the BBC's cosy little world will soon feel the draft when audience figures show what an obscenity Ross's salary is. Just think: £6 million a year for a yob nobody watches or listens to. Let's go for it!
- Js, London, 21/11/2008 12:36
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Georgina Baillie selling her story to the Sun (with intermit details of her romps with Brand) really just made her a hypocrite. I am sure Andrew Sachs was just as shocked by that.
- Paul, London, 21/11/2008 12:28
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This is so disappointing. Jonathan Ross' programme is just a major waste of good guests. If, when Ross returns from the Caribbean to work in January, the BBC finds that his ratings have dropped off the scale, maybe they will think again. If no-one watches his shows he will be got rid of.
- Jilly, London, 21/11/2008 12:26
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