Jonathan Ross is still yet to reply to our kind offer of a temporary contract with It's Not A Tumour!
In this celebrity obsessed culture in which we live, chat shows are really the closet thing possible to ‘knowing’ who a celebrity is or what they are about. It is a place where celebrities can talk about how magnificent they are and how they are just like the ‘rest of us’. But now, the chat show hosts are the celebrities. This was emphasized just last week when Jonathon Ross announced he would be leaving the BBC after 13 years. It was a media frenzy.
Why? Well he says it is not money but I am sceptical about that. After all, he was on a reported £18million over 5 years, which makes Graham Norton’s reported salary of £5million over 3 years, pocket money to Ross, and usually the more you have of something the more you want of it (except Chlamydia).
Forgetting the Andrew Sachs incident which was not so much a bummer for Ross than it was for Russell Brand, Ross is simply one of the best broadcasters working in British television today, with an interview technique that is only second to Piers Morgan, who I think, retains the interviewer crown.
However, not even Piers Morgan could fill the boots of Ross. Friday Night with Jonathon Ross is the biggest chat show on British television today, with Norton in a close second place. What make’s these shows are the presenters themselves, not always the Hollywood mega star. Ross has that cheek about him, that makes people give in, and Norton is the ‘I don’t give a shit’ host who has fun with his guests. Though there may not seem much between the jobs they do, no other chat show host has the personality of the other, which is why I urge the BBC not to replace Ross’s slot with another chat show but some gritty drama instead.
I don’t think chat show hosts are a dying breed, unless you count the screaming Davina McCall (AKA: The woman who makes your Ears Bleed) and that guy from Coronation Street who was so boring I can’t even be bothered to look up his name. It’s seems to be a male dominated part of presenting, which proves the stereotypes wrong, we men can talk and we can listen, just not at the same time.
It takes a certain someone to ask if Tom Cruise wafts the duvet, but Ross has no problem in bringing the subject up. We want to know our celebrities act like complete tits just like we do. Can you imagine if Jabba the Hut’s larger cousin Jo Brand were to slug on and start chatting to Brad Pitt about his flatulent problems , it does not even bare thinking about.
This is something that Parkinson tip toed over, vital details. Having said that, Parkinson is the God of chat show hosting, never will there be another chat show host who is respected more than he is. Ross however, is loved by some hated by others, but this has always been the case. Hated more so for the crude and sometimes rude nature of his interviews. Take the interview with Kerry Katona where he introduced her saying ‘She hasn’t been in a tabloid storm for at least half an hour so lets see if we can whip one up for her please welcome….’. This was the start of things to, he then goes on to say ‘Kerry, don’t take this the wrong way but, what do you actually do?’ The interview goes on with Ross, in a round about way, trying to get her to admit what the tabloids had written were true, and quite openly taking the piss out of her situation. I can’t say I am a fan of the drug taking baby making machine, but she did not deserve an interview like that.
Chat show’s wont die and the hosts are not a dying breed. Ross will find somewhere else to chat to his celebrity pals and probably pull ‘Four Poofs and a Piano’ back from the gutter to join the celebrity mesh again.
Would he fit in elsewhere? I don’t know. After 13 years he with the BBC, naturally that’s where he belongs. Given the amount of media attention as he has been getting about ‘leaving’ the BBC, he is still continuing some of his work there. He will be seen on Comic Relief as one of the headline presenters and will be making appearances on Radio and ‘Film 20??’ which I believe he is to continue, which means we have to listen to someone who quite frankly struggles with an autocue.
Ross has so far dealt with this un-necessary media attention quite gracefully, he even took out cups of tea to the press who were on his driveway at his home then politely asked them for his driveway back in true Ross style. Even the Creative Director of the BBC Alan Yentob has been involved to the point where he was even interviewed on the main BBC news, where he claimed it was not for money reasons. Not that he would be too bothered; his salary is probably double the amount of Ross’s anyway.
Too much Hype over one person taking a new direction in their career? Yes, but in a world where celebrities rule, there always will be.
LikeTags: Andrew Sachs, BBC, Brad Pitt, Celebrity, Chat Show, Chlamydia, Comic Relief, Coronation Street, Davina McCall, Friday Night With Jonathon Ross, Graham Norton, Hollywood, Jabba The Hut, Jo Brand, Jonathan Ross, Kerry Katona, Media Frenzy, Parkinson, Piers Morgan, Russell Brand, Tom Cruise
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this article is fucked up, you praise piers morgan and put him on par with Jonathan Ross?
“chat shows are really the closet thing possible to ‘knowing’ who a celebrity is or what they are about”
^if anything in a celebrity obsessed culture, chat shows are irrelevant, are you being sarcastic? Am I missing something? Piers Morgan?
Piers Morgan?
who wrote this article Ron Burgundy?
great article shame though cos I’m going to miss jonathon ross no one can do rude interiews which are the best kind like he can GO ROSS!!!!