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Graham Norton to replace Jonathan Ross
Irish comic will move his chat show to Friday nights later this year, BBC says
Risque Irish comic Graham Norton is "likely" to replace Jonathan Ross, the BBC has said. Ross recorded his last TV chat show for the BBC on Wednesday and is now moving to ITV.
Norton (above left) had been hotly tipped to replace Ross (above right) – and it is thought he may take over the latter's Radio 2 show, too. Now the BBC says Norton's show is likely to move to Friday nights, replacing Ross, but keeping its current title: The Graham Norton Show.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "In all likelihood, when his show returns later in the year it will play in the Friday night slot."
Ross said he was "grateful, lucky and honoured" to have worked at the BBC. He is now taking a one-year break before returning with an ITV show. He added: "It's been a remarkable period of my TV career."
Ross left the BBC after a media storm over his £18m three-year contract, largely provoked by outrage over obscene prank phone calls he made with Russell Brand to elderly actor Andrew Sachs on Brand’s Radio 2 show. Norton’s humour is, if anything, even more risqué. As if limbering up for his new role, he has been concentrating on his presenting career recently, hosting shows such as I’d Do Anything.
Replacing the corporation’s biggest star is a long way from Norton's early days as a stand-up comedian on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe wearing a tea towel and pretending to be Mother Teresa. Given Ross’s downfall, it’s worth noting that Norton’s speciality in those days was the prank call. Memorably, he used to phone for pizza and have it brought to him on stage, to the discomfiture of the delivery boy. ·
