Beckham booked for Jonathan Ross finale

Jonathan Ross appears to have spurned Russell Brand for his final BBC One outing next Friday for a stalwart of chat show finales, David Beckham. The former England captain, who has been confirmed for the last Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, also appeared on Michael Parkinson's ITV swansong in 2007.

Next week's show will also feature film star Jackie Chan and a performance by Roxy Music, after Ross specially requested the band play. Normally three guests grace Ross's red sofa, but it is thought that Beckham will be given extra time - possibly to talk about England's dismal World Cup campaign.

The announcement quashes speculation that Brand, who is currently promoting his new film Get Him to the Greek, would appear on the final show. The pair had reportedly hoped to publicly discuss the pair's controversial prank phone call to Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs.

Meanwhile the BBC has announced that it will publish the salaries of its top stars following an outcry over the amount paid to Ross in his last three years at the Corporation. In 2006 Ross signed a three-year contract which was reportedly worth £18 million.

Yesterday Sir Michael Lyons, who is chairman of governing body the BBC Trust, announced that he had ordered executives to publish details about the salaries paid to its top presenters.

Lyons also announced that senior executives are to take an 8.5 per cent pay cut for each of the next two years as the Corporation prepares for an era of "severe economic austerity". ·