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So where were we? Ross returns with an apology
Robert Mendick and Amar Singh22 Jan 2009
JONATHAN Ross today apologised for the Andrew Sachs phone prank row as he returned to work after his three-month suspension.
Greeted with a huge round of applause as he arrived on stage to record his Friday night chat show, the £6million-a-year BBC presenter asked: "So where were we?"
He then made a series of jokes about George W Bush, running through his favourite gaffes by the former American president before saying: "Now, seriously, what kind of idiot would say stuff like that knowing it was going to be broadcast?"
The remark met with laughter from the audience but Ross then added: "But seriously I would like to apologise, we've got a great responsibility, what we do is privileged and I will be more aware in future."
Ross's first guest was comedian Lee Evans and there was some mild banter and swearing between the two.
At one point Ross, wearing a bright red suit and a white shirt and tie, told his guest: "Easy. This is a brave new age."
Ross returned to work amid an extraordinary set of security and compliance measures.
Early this morning, the presenter was ushered out of his home in the Hampstead Garden Suburb via the backdoor and arrived at the BBC TV Centre in White City before 8am.
Hundreds of audience members were cordoned off by security more than an hour before the recording began and were banned from taking mobile phones into the auditorium.
Senior BBC chiefs were directly involved in approving the guests who also include Tom Cruise, Stephen Fry and Franz Ferdinand.
Ross, 48, has been banned from making smutty sexual jokes, thought to be the reason for there being no female guests on his first show.
Ross was banned over remarks he made on Sachs's answerphone about the actor's granddaughter which were broadcast on a Radio2 programme hosted by Russell Brand.
BBC1 controller Jay Hunt is personally vetting Ross's show before it is broadcast.
A BBC source said: "Everybody wants to make sure that Jonathan's first show back is a success."
Reader views (3)
If the BBC had any integrity they'd have washed their hands of him and let some one like E4 pick him up.
This whole episode has no doubt fuelled his belief in himself as some kind anarchic broadcaster but he's just middle aged, mediocre and conceited and well passed his sell-by date: more a Bill Grundy than a Sex Pistol.
- Paul, London, 23/01/2009 09:42
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Its such a shame that this was totally blown up to the proportions that it was. Yes they both went a bit far but I have missed the Ross programme on Friday and the Saturday chat show was, and I hope, will be brilliant again. I know lots of stuffy people listen to Radio 2 but so do some of us lively folk and Rossie is one of the reasons I tuned in. I hope that this incident wont turn the BBC into a stuffy old broadcasting station again.
on a lighter note,.....I have just lost my job so I wish I had some of his money
- Denny, herts, 22/01/2009 16:30
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he should have been fired what a waste off fee payers money
- George, france, 22/01/2009 16:28
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