Events

275 – In Rome, (after the assassination of Aurelian), the Senate proclaims Marcus Claudius Tacitus Emperor.

303 – On a voyage preaching the gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France.

1066 – The Battle of Stamford Bridge marks the end of the Viking invasions of England.

1396 – Ottoman Emperor Bayezid I defeats a Christian army at the Battle of Nicopolis.

1513 – Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa reaches what would become known as the Pacific Ocean.

1555 – The Peace of Augsburg is signed in Augsburg by Charles V and the princes of the Schmalkaldic League.

1690 – ''Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick'', the first newspaper to appear in the Americas, is published for the first and only time.

1775 – Ethan Allen surrenders to British forces after attempting to capture Montreal during the Battle of Longue-Pointe. At the same time, Benedict Arnold and his expeditionary company set off from Fort Western, bound for Quebec City (Invasion of Canada (1775)).

1789 – The U.S. Congress passes twelve amendments to the United States Constitution: the Congressional Apportionment Amendment (which was never ratified), the Congressional Compensation Amendment, and the ten that are known as the Bill of Rights.

1804 – The Teton Sioux (a subdivision of the Lakota) demand one of the boats from the Lewis and Clark Expedition as a toll for moving further upriver.

1846 – U.S. forces led by Zachary Taylor capture the Mexican city of Monterrey.

1868 – The Imperial Russian steam frigate Alexander Neuski is shipwrecked off Jutland while carrying Grand Duke Alexei of Russia.

1890 – The U.S. Congress establishes Sequoia National Park.

1906 – In the presence of the king and before a great crowd, Leonardo Torres Quevedo successfully demonstrates the invention of the ''Telekino'' in the port of Bilbao, guiding a boat from the shore, in what is considered the birth of the remote control.

1911 – Ground is broken for Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

1912 – Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is founded in New York, New York.

1915 – World War I: The Second Battle of Champagne begins.

1929 – Jimmy Doolittle performs the first blind flight from Mitchel Field proving that full instrument flying from take off to landing is possible.

1942 – World War II: Swiss Police Instruction of September 25, 1942 – this instruction denied entry into Switzerland to Jewish refugees.

1944 – World War II: Surviving elements of the British 1st Airborne Division withdraw from Arnhem in the Netherlands, thus ending the Battle of Arnhem and Operation Market Garden.

1955 – The Royal Jordanian Air Force is founded.

1956 – TAT-1, the first submarine transatlantic telephone cable system, is inaugurated.

1957 – Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, is integrated by the use of United States Army troops.

1959 – Solomon Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is mortally wounded by a Buddhist monk, Talduwe Somarama, and dies the next day.

1962 – The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is formally proclaimed. Ferhat Abbas is elected President of the provisional government.

1970 – Cease-fire between Jordan and the Fedayeen ends fighting triggered by four hijackings on September 6 and 9.

1972 – In a referendum, the people of Norway reject membership of the European Community.

1977 – About 4,200 people take part in the first running of the Chicago Marathon.

1978 – PSA Flight 182, a Boeing 727-214, collides in mid-air with a Cessna 172 and crashes in San Diego, California, resulting in the deaths of 144 people.

1981 – Sandra Day O'Connor becomes the 102nd person sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and the first woman to hold the office.

1981 – Belize joins the United Nations.

1983 – Maze Prison escape: 38 republican prisoners, armed with 6 handguns, hijack a prison meals lorry and smash their way out of the Maze prison. It is the largest prison escape since WWII and in British history.

1992 – NASA launched a $511 million probe to Mars in the first U.S. mission to the planet in 17 years. Eleven months later, the probe would fail.

1996 – The last of the Magdalene Asylums closes in Ireland.

2002 – The Vitim event, a possible bolide impact in Siberia, Russia.

2003 – A magnitude-8.0 earthquake strikes just offshore Hokkaidō, Japan.

2008 – China launches the spacecraft Shenzhou 7.

2009 – U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in a joint TV appearance for a G-20 summit, accused Iran of building a secret nuclear enrichment facility.

2010 – Mahmoud Abbas speaks at United Nations General Assembly to request that Israel is to cease its policy of building settlements in the West Bank.

Births

1358 – Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Japanese shogun (d. 1408)

1525 – Steven Borough, English explorer (d. 1584)

1599 – Francesco Borromini, Swiss Italian architect (d. 1667)

1644 – Ole Rømer, Danish astronomer (d. 1710)

1683 – Jean-Philippe Rameau, French composer (d. 1764)

1694 – Henry Pelham, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1754)

1711 – Qianlong Emperor of China (d. 1799)

1725 – Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, French steam vehicle pioneer (d. 1804)

1738 – Nicholas Van Dyke, American lawyer and President of Delaware (d. 1789)

1744 – Frederick William II of Prussia (d. 1797)

1764 – Fletcher Christian, English Bounty mutineer (d. 1793)

1766 – Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu, French-Russian statesman (d. 1822)

1771 – Nikolay Nikolayevich Raevsky, Russian general (d. 1829)

1773 – Agostino Bassi, Italian entomologist (d. 1856)

1780 – Jason Fairbanks, American murderer (d. 1801)

1782 – Charles Robert Maturin, Irish playwright and novelist (d. 1824)

1798 – Jean-Baptiste Élie de Beaumont, French geologist (d. 1874)

1816 – Georg August Rudolph, German politician (d. 1893)

1825 – Joachim Heer, Swiss politician (d. 1879)

1825 – William Pitt Ballinger, American lawyer and statesman (d. 1888)

1839 – Karl Alfred von Zittel, German palaeontologist (d. 1904)

1862 – Léon Boëllmann, French composer (d. 1897)

1862 – Billy Hughes, seventh Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1952)

1866 – Thomas Hunt Morgan, American geneticist, Nobel laureate (d. 1945)

1867 – Evgenii Miller, Russian counter-revolutionary (d. 1938)

1879 – Lope K. Santos, Filipino writer and labor leader (d. 1963)

1881 – Lu Xun, Chinese writer (d. 1936)

1888 – Hanna Ralph, German actress (d. 1978)

1889 – C. K. Scott-Moncrieff, Scottish writer and translator (d. 1930)

1896 – Sandro Pertini, Italian statesman (d. 1990)

1897 – William Faulkner, American writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1962)

1898 – Robert Brackman American artist (d. 1980)

1901 – Robert Bresson, French film director (d. 1999)

1901 – Gordon Coventry, Australian rules footballer (d. 1968)

1903 – Mark Rothko, Latvian-born American painter (d. 1970)

1906 – Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian composer (d. 1975)

1908 – Jacqueline Audry, French film director (d. 1977)

1911 – Eric Williams, Trinidad and Tobago statesman (d. 1981)

1916 – Jessica Anderson, Australian author (d. 2010)

1917 – Phil Rizzuto, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2007)

1917 – Johnny Sain, American baseball player (d. 2006)

1920 – Sergei Bondarchuk, Ukrainian-born actor (d. 1994)

1921 – Sir Robert Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1992)

1922 – Hammer DeRoburt, Nauruian statesman (d. 1992)

1923 – Sam Rivers, American musician

1925 – Paul B. MacCready, Jr., American aeronautical engineer (d. 2007)

1925 – Silvana Pampanini, Italian actress

1926 – Aldo Ray, American actor (d. 1991)

1926 – Jack Hyles, Baptist pastor (d. 2001)

1927 – Sir Colin Davis, English conductor

1929 – Ronnie Barker, British comedian and actor (d. 2005)

1929 – Barbara Walters, American broadcaster

1929 – Delia Scala, Italian actress (d. 2004)

1930 – Shel Silverstein, American humorist and author (d. 1999)

1931 – Manouchehr Atashi, Iranian poet (d. 2005)

1932 – Glenn Gould, Canadian pianist and composer (d. 1982)

1932 – Terry Medwin, Welsh retired footballer

1932 – Adolfo Suárez, Prime Minister of Spain (1977–1981)

1933 – Hubie Brown, American basketball coach and broadcaster

1933 – Erik Darling, American folk singer/songwriter (d. 2008)

1933 – Brian Murphy, British actor

1933 – Ian Tyson, Canadian singer-songwriter and rancher

1934 – Jean Sorel, French actor

1936 – Juliet Prowse, South African actress and dancer (d. 1996)

1938 – Jonathan Motzfeldt, Greenlander statesman (d. 2010)

1939 – Feroz Khan, Indian actor (d. 2009)

1939 – David S. Mann, American politician

1942 – Oscar Bonavena, Argentine heavyweight boxer (d. 1976)

1943 – Robert Gates, American Secretary of Defense

1943 – Robert Walden, American actor

1943 – John Locke, American musician (d. 2006)

1943 – Josh Taylor, American actor

1944 – Michael Douglas, American actor and producer

1944 – Grayson Shillingford, West Indian cricket bowler

1944 – Doris Matsui, American politician

1945 – Dee Dee Warwick, American singer (d. 2008)

1945 – Carol Vadnais, Canadian ice hockey player

1945 – Kathleen Brown, American politician

1946 – Felicity Kendal, British actress

1946 – Bryan MacLean, American musician and songwriter (Love) (d. 1998)

1946 – Jerry Penrod, American bass player

1947 – Giannos Kranidiotis, Greek diplomat and politician (d. 1999)

1947 – Cheryl Tiegs, American model

1947 – Cecil Womack, American musician

1947 – Firmine Richard, French actress

1948 – Mimi Kennedy, American actress

1951 – Mark Hamill, American actor

1951 – Bob McAdoo, American basketball player

1951 – Pedro Almodóvar, Spanish film director, screenwriter, and producer

1952 – Jimmy Garvin, American professional wrestler

1952 – Colin Friels, Scottish actor

1952 – Christopher Reeve, American actor (d. 2004)

1952 – Gloria Jean Watkins, American scholar

1952 – Cherríe Moraga, American writer

1952 – Tommy Norden, American actor

1952 – Anson Williams, American actor and director

1953 – Richard Harvey, British musician and composer (Gryphon)

1954 – Sylvester Croom, American college football coach

1954 – Juande Ramos, Spanish Football Manager

1955 – Steven Severin, British musician (Siouxsie and the Banshees)

1955 – Amyr Klink, Brazilian explorer

1955 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, German footballer

1955 – Zucchero, Italian musician

1955 – Ludo Coeck, Belgian footballer (d. 1985)

1956 – Jamie Hyneman, American visual effects technician

1956 – Winfried Stradt, German footballer

1957 – Ian Reddington, English actor

1958 – Michael Madsen, American actor

1958 – Randy Kerber, American composer

1958 – Eamonn Healy, Irish chemist

1959 – Jeon Soo-il, South Korean director

1960 – Igor Belanov, Ukrainian footballer

1960 – Eduardo Yáñez, Mexican actor

1960 – Sonia Benezra, Canadian television host

1961 – Heather Locklear, American actress and model

1962 – Aida Turturro, American actress

1962 – Kalthoum Sarrai, Tunisian television reporter (d. 2010)

1962 – Shreela Ghosh, Indian actress

1962 – Beth Toussaint, American actress

1963 – Keely Shaye Smith, American journalist

1963 – Tate Donovan, American actor

1963 – Mikael Persbrandt, Swedish actor

1964 – Anita Barone, American actress

1964 – Chris Impellitteri, American musician (Impellitteri)

1964 – Kikuko Inoue, Japanese singer and voice actress (seiyū)

1964 – Joey Saputo, Canadian businessman and sports executive

1964 – Gary Ayles, British racing driver

1964 – Maria Doyle Kennedy, Irish actress and singer

1965 – Scottie Pippen, American basketball player

1965 – Matt Battaglia, American actor

1965 – Herminia Bouza, Cuban javelin thrower

1965 – Anne Roumanoff, French humorist

1965 – Saffron Henderson, Canadian voice actress

1965 – Gordon Currie, Canadian actor

1965 – Rob Schmidt, American director

1965 – Dave Rundle, South African cricketer

1966 – Jason Flemyng, English actor

1966 – Todd Philcox, American football player

1967 – Kim Issel, Canadian ice hockey player

1967 – Melissa De Sousa, American actress

1968 – Will Smith, American actor and rapper

1968 – John Worsfold, Australian rules football coach

1968 – Prince Johan-Friso of Orange-Nassau

1968 – John A. List, American economist

1969 – Catherine Zeta-Jones, Welsh actress

1969 – Heather Stewart-Whyte, British supermodel

1969 – Hal Sparks, American actor

1969 – Hansie Cronje, South African cricketer (d. 2002)

1969 – Bill Simmons, American sportswriter

1970 – Aja Kong, Japanese professional wrestler

1970 – Kerri Kendall, American model

1970 – Curtis Buckley, American football player

1970 – Misa Shimizu, Japanese actress

1970 – Dean Ween, American musician (Ween)

1971 – John Lynch, American football player

1971 – Brian Dunkleman, American actor

1971 – Jessie Wallace, English actress

1973 – Bridgette Wilson, American actress

1973 – Tijani Babangida, Nigerian footballer

1973 – Bridget Marquardt, American model

1974 – Igor Bogdanović, Serbian footballer

1974 – Bill Bowler, Canadian ice hockey player

1974 – Richie Edwards, British bassist

1974 – John Granville, American diplomat (d. 2008)

1974 – Tye Harvey, American pole vaulter

1974 – Paul Hurst, English footballer

1974 – Daniel Kessler, American musician

1974 – Frank Leder, German fashion designer

1974 – Bente Elin Lilleøkseth, Norwegian politician

1974 – Robbie Mears, Australian rugby league player

1974 – Eric Moss, American football player

1974 – Víctor Pacheco, Colombian footballer

1974 – Olivier Dacourt, French professional footballer

1974 – Joel Prpic, Canadian ice hockey player

1974 – Javier Rosas Sierra, Mexican athlete

1974 – Kemel Thompson, Jamaican athlete

1975 – Matt Hasselbeck, American football player

1975 – Maya Sansa, Italian actress

1975 – Dat Nguyen, American football player

1975 – Daniel Hyde, British actor

1975 – Declan Donnelly, British actor, television presenter and musician

1976 – Chauncey Billups, American basketball player

1976 – Charlotte Ayanna, American actress

1976 – Santigold, American singer

1976 – Eric Roberson, American singer and songwriter

1976 – Chiara Siracusa, Maltese singer

1977 – Clea DuVall, American actress

1977 – Mike Krahulik, Illustrator

1977 – Joel Moore, American actor

1977 – Wil Nieves, Puerto Rican baseball player

1977 – Kiyoshi Ijichi, Japanese drummer (Asian Kung-Fu Generation)

1978 – Roudolphe Douala, Cameroonian footballer

1978 – Ricardo Gardner, Jamaican footballer

1978 – Rossif Sutherland, Canadian actor

1978 – Jodie Kidd, English model

1978 – Joe Cotton, Canadian pop singer

1978 – Ryan Leslie, American music producer and singer

1978 – Joel Pineiro, Puerto Rican baseball player

1979 – Rashad Evans, American mixed martial artist

1979 – Jason Koumas, Welsh footballer

1979 – Jean-René Lisnard, French tennis player

1980 – T.I., American rapper

1980 – Chris Owen, American actor

1980 – Elio Germano, Italian actor

1981 – Rocco Baldelli, American baseball player

1981 – Jason Bergmann, American baseball player

1981 – Van Hansis, American actor

1981 – Gemma Garrett, British model

1981 – Lee Norris, American actor

1981 – Sarah Jayne Dunn, English actress

1981 – Shane Tutmarc, American songwriter and musician

1982 – Kany García, Puerto Rican singer-songwritter

1982 – Hyun Bin, South Korean actor

1983 – Terrance Pennington, American football player

1983 – Donald Glover, American actor and comedian

1984 – Rashad McCants, American basketball player

1984 – Esther Baxter, American model

1984 – Matías Silvestre, Argentine footballer

1984 – Cherine Anderson, Jamaican actress

1984 – Annabelle Wallis, English actress

1985 – Calvin Johnson, American football player

1986 – Greg Mighall, English musician

1986 – Marten Strauch, German rugby player

1987 – Monica Niculescu, Romanian tennis player

1988 – Joe Prospero, British actor

1989 – Jordan Gavaris, Canadian actor

1990 – Mao Asada, Japanese figure skater

1990 – Zac Fox, British actor

1991 – Emmy Clarke, American actress

1992 – Keauna McLaughlin, American figure skater

1992 – Ruslan Zhiganshin, Russian ice dancer

1992 – Zoël Amberg, Swiss race car driver

1993 – Megan Corletto, American actress

1994 – Jansen Panettiere, American actor

Deaths

303 – Saint Fermin of Pamplona

1066 – Killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge:

:* Tostig Godwinson, Earl of Northumbria :* Harald III of Norway (b. 1015)

1086 – William VIII, Duke of Aquitaine (b. 1025)

1333 – Prince Morikuni, Japanese shogun (b. 1301)

1396 – Killed at the Battle of Nicopolis:

:* Jean de Vienne, Admiral of France (b. 1341) :* Jean de Carrouges (b. circa 1330)

1496 – Piero Capponi, Italian soldier and statesman (b. 1447)

1506 – King Philip I of Castile (b. 1478)

1534 – Pope Clement VII (b. 1478)

1536 – Johannes Secundus, Dutch poet (b. 1511)

1602 – Caspar Peucer, German reformer (b. 1525)

1617 – Francisco Suarez, Spanish Jesuit theologian (b. 1548)

1617 – Emperor Go-Yozei of Japan (b. 1572)

1626 – Lancelot Andrewes, English scholar and Bishop of the Church of England (b. 1555)

1630 – Ambrogio Spinola, marqués de los Balbases, Italian general (b. 1569)

1665 – Maria Anna of Austria, Electress of Bavaria (b. 1610)

1703 – Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll, Scottish privy councillor (b. 1658)

1774 – John Bradstreet, Canadian-born soldier (b. 1714)

1777 – Johann Heinrich Lambert, German scientist (b. 1728)

1791 – William Bradford, American printer (b. 1719)

1792 – Adam Gottlob Moltke, Danish statesman (b. 1710)

1794 – Paul Rabaut, French Huguenot pastor (b. 1718)

1828 – Charlotta Seuerling, Swedish musician and poet (b. c. 1783)

1849 – Johann Strauss, Senior, Austrian composer (b. 1804)

1867 – Oliver Loving, American pioneer rancher (b. 1812)

1900 – Félix-Gabriel Marchand, premier of Québec (b. 1832)

1901 – Arthur Fremantle, British general and American Civil War observer (b. 1835)

1905 – Jacques Marie Eugène Godefroy Cavaignac, French politician (b. 1853)

1917 – Thomas Ashe, Irish revolutionary (b. 1885)

1918 – Mikhail Alekseev, Russian general (b. 1857)

1926 – Herbert Booth, son of William and Catherine Booth (b. 1862)

1929 – Miller Huggins, American baseball player and manager (b. 1879)

1933 – Ring Lardner, American writer (b. 1885)

1946 – Hans Eppinger, Austrian physician and war criminal (b. 1879)

1958 – John B. Watson, American psychologist (b. 1878)

1960 – Emily Post, American etiquette expert (b. 1873)

1961 – Frank Fay American actor (b. 1897)

1968 – Hans F. K. Günther, German eugenicist (b. 1891)

1970 – Erich Maria Remarque, German author (b. 1898)

1971 – Hugo Lafayette Black, American jurist (b. 1886)

1979 – Tapio Rautavaara, Finnish athlete and actor (b. 1915)

1980 – John Bonham, British drummer (Led Zeppelin) (b. 1948)

1980 – Lewis Milestone, Moldovan film director (b. 1895)

1980 – Marie Under, Estonian author and poet (b. 1883)

1983 – King Léopold III of Belgium (b. 1901)

1984 – Walter Pidgeon, Canadian actor (b. 1897)

1986 – Nikolay Nikolayevich Semyonov, Russian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1896)

1986 – Donald MacDonald, Canadian politician (b. 1909)

1986 – Hans Vogt, Norwegian linguist (b. 1909)

1986 – Darshan Singh Canadian, Indian communist leader (b. 1917)

1987 – Mary Astor, American actress (b. 1906)

1987 – Emlyn Williams, Welsh actor (b. 1905)

1988 – Billy Carter, brother of Jimmy Carter (b. 1937)

1991 – Klaus Barbie, Berman Nazi war criminal (b. 1913)

1991 – Viviane Romance, French actress (b. 1912)

1995 – Dave Bowen, Welsh football manager (b. 1928)

1995 – Bessie Delany, American physician and author (b. 1891)

1996 – Nicu Ceauşescu, Romanian politician (b. 1951)

1997 – Jean Françaix, French composer (b. 1912)

1997 – Hélène Baillargeon, Quebec singer and folklorist (b. 1916)

1999 – Marion Zimmer Bradley, American writer (b. 1930)

2000 – R. S. Thomas, Welsh poet (b. 1913)

2003 – Aquila al-Hashimi, Iraqi politician (b. 1953)

2003 – Herb Gardner, American playwright (b. 1934)

2003 – Franco Modigliani, Italian economist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)

2003 – George Plimpton, American writer and actor (b. 1927)

2003 – Edward Said, Palestinian-born literary critic (b. 1935)

2005 – Don Adams, American actor and comedian (b. 1923)

2005 – Madeline-Ann Aksich, Canadian philanthropist and artist (b. 1956)

2005 – George Archer, American golfer (b. 1939)

2005 – Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Pakistani critic and linguist (b. 1912)

2005 – Urie Bronfenbrenner, American psychologist (b. 1917)

2005 – M. Scott Peck, American psychiatrist and writer (b. 1936)

2005 – Friedrich Peter, Austrian politician (b. 1921)

2006 – Jeff Cooper, American firearms expert (b. 1920)

2006 – John M. Ford, American author and poet (b. 1957)

2007 – Haidar Abdel-Shafi, Palestinian negotiator (b. 1919)

2009 – Pierre Falardeau, Canadian director, writer and activist (b. 1946)

2009 – Alicia de Larrocha, Catalan pianist (b. 1923)

2010 – Art Gilmore, American actor (b. 1912)

Holidays and observances

Armed Forces Day or Revolution Day (Mozambique)

Christian Feast Day:

*Abadir and Iraja and companions (Coptic Church)

*Cadoc

*Ceolfrith

*Finbarr

*Sergius of Radonezh (repose)

*September 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

External links

BBC: On This Day

On This Day in Canada

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Category:Days of the year Category:September

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Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Graham Norton
birth name	Graham William Walker
birth date	April 04, 1963
birth place	Clondalkin, Dublin, Ireland
medium	Television, radio, stand-up
nationality	Irish
active	1992–present
genre	Observational comedy
subject	Everyday life, pop culture, current events, celebrities, sex
awards
notable work	''So Graham Norton''''V Graham Norton''''The Graham Norton Effect''''Graham Norton's Bigger Picture''''The Graham Norton Show'' }}

Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton, (born 4 April 1963) is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist. He is the host of comedy chat programme ''The Graham Norton Show'' on BBC One in the UK. ''Hot Press'' has described him as "the 21st century's answer to Terry Wogan", with both men sharing an Irish background and the common link of being a BBC Radio 2 presenter and the BBC television commentator of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Early life and career

Norton was born in Clondalkin, a suburb of Dublin, but grew up in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland. He was educated at Bandon Grammar School, in County Cork and then University College Cork but did not complete his studies.

In 1992 his stand-up comedy drag act in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as a tea-towel clad Mother Teresa of Calcutta made the press when Scottish Television's religious affairs department mistakenly thought he represented the real Mother Teresa.

His first appearances in broadcasting were in his spot as a regular comedian and panellist on the BBC Radio 4 show ''Loose Ends'', when the show ran on Saturday mornings, in the early 1990s. His rise to fame began as one of the early successes of Channel 5, when he won an award for his performance as the stand-in host of a late-night TV talk show usually presented by Jack Docherty. This was followed by a comic quiz show on Channel 5 called ''Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment'', which was not well received as a programme, but did further enhance Norton's individual reputation as a comic and TV host. In 1996, Norton co-hosted the late-night quiz show ''Carnal Knowledge'' on ITV with Maria McErlane.

In 1996, Norton played the part of Father Noel Furlong in three episodes ("Hell", "Flight Into Terror", "The Mainland") of the Channel 4 series ''Father Ted''. Father Noel Furlong was often seen taking charge of a small youth folk-group.

Channel 4

After this early success, Norton moved to Channel 4 to host his own chat shows including ''So Graham Norton'' and ''V Graham Norton''. As a performer who is not only openly gay, but also camp and flamboyant, it was here that Norton's act was fully honed as a cheeky, innuendo-laden joker.

In 2003, he was the subject of controversy when, on his show on Channel 4, he made a comedic reference to the recent death of Bee Gees singer Maurice Gibb. The Independent Television Commission investigated after complaints about this insensitivity were forwarded to it and eventually Channel 4 had to make two apologies: one in the form of a caption slide before the show, another from Norton in person.

Also in 2003, he was listed in ''The Observer'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy (though Norton is Irish, the bulk of his television career has been in the UK).

In the summer of 2004, Norton moved across the Atlantic to start a new venture in American television. ''The Graham Norton Effect'' debuted on 24 June 2004 on Comedy Central, and was also broadcast in the UK on BBC Three. In the midst of controversy surrounding Janet Jackson's Super Bowl performance, Norton was wary of moving into the market.

BBC

In 2005, Norton moved to the BBC and began hosting the Saturday evening reality TV series ''Strictly Dance Fever'' on BBC One, as well as a new comedy chat show, ''Graham Norton's Bigger Picture''. He also read stories some nights on the BBC children's channel CBeebies as part of ''Bedtime Hour''.

In 2006, Norton hosted the BBC One series ''How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?'' in which Andrew Lloyd Webber tried to find a lead actress for his West End version of ''The Sound of Music''. Norton has subsequently presented the 3 follow-up series: ''Any Dream Will Do'' in 2007, in which a group of males competed to win the role of Joseph in the West End production of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat''; ''I'd Do Anything'' in 2008, in which Andrew Lloyd Webber seeks to find the part of Nancy and Oliver for Sir Cameron Mackintosh's production of Lionel Bart's ''Oliver!''; and ''Over the Rainbow'' in 2010, following a similar format to find a new Dorothy for a ''Wizard of Oz'' West end Production.

Norton hosted various other shows for the BBC during this time, including ''When Will I Be Famous?'' (2007), ''The One and Only'' (2008) and ''Totally Saturday'' (2009). Since 2007, Norton has also been a regular host of The British Academy Television Awards. On 7 July 2007, Norton presented at Live Earth and undertook a trip to Ethiopia with the Born Free Foundation to highlight the plight of the Ethiopian wolf – the rarest canid in the world. In the same year, he was the subject of an episode of the BBC1 genealogy documentary ''Who Do You Think You Are?''.

Norton's chat show, ''The Graham Norton Show'', began on 22 February 2007 on BBC Two. Although in a format that he had not been involved in for 4 years, it is very similar to his previous Channel 4 shows. On 6 October 2009, the show moved to BBC One, in a new one-hour format.

In May 2010, he stood in for Chris Evans' breakfast show on BBC Radio 2. Later that month, it was confirmed that he would be replacing Jonathan Ross's Saturday morning slot on the same station.

In December 2011, the panel show ''Would You Rather...? with Graham Norton'' premiered on BBC America in the time slot immediately following ''The Graham Norton Show''. Recorded in New York, it is one of BBC America's earliest efforts at producing original programming, and is also the first panel game the channel has shown, either of British or American origin.

In January 2012, he called on listeners to his Radio 2 show to help find his car hours after it was stolen. He called it "The Great Car Hunt" and told listeners to “Keep your eyes out for it. It was filthy by the way."

Eurovision

Norton hosted the first annual ''Eurovision Dance Contest'' alongside Claudia Winkleman which was held on 1 September 2007 in London, England. The format was based on the BBC's ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and the EBU's ''Eurovision Song Contest''. Norton and Winkleman also hosted the 2008 Contest in Glasgow, Scotland.

In October 2008, it was confirmed by the BBC that Norton would replace Terry Wogan as the BBC's presenter for the UK heats of the ''Eurovision Song Contest'', in a show to be called ''Your Country Needs You''.

On 5 December 2008 it was announced that Norton would also take over from Wogan as the presenter of the main Eurovision Song Contest. The 54th Eurovision Song Contest was held in the Olimpiyskiy (Olympic) Stadium, Moscow on 16 May 2009.

Norton's jokes during his debut received some positive reviews from the British media. ''The Guardian'' noted his comments on Iceland's entry, which finished in second place, had "rooted around in a cupboard and found an old bridesmaid dress from 1987" and the Armenian singers, who finished in tenth place, were sporting traditional dress, "which would be true if you come from the village where Liberace is the mayor."

His comment “The bad news is you’re about to watch Albania. She’s only 17 so please bear that in mind. Where was her mother? Why didn’t she step in and say no?” which was made just before Albanian singer Kejsi Tola was set to take the stage dubbed an insult by many, sent ripples of outrage through not only Albania, but also the Albanian population in Britain.He then announced that Albania should get no points and that he didn't care what anybody else thought. There was a petition circling the net calling for a formal apology from Norton. The petition, which called his comment “very rude and insulting,” had drawn over 1,000 signatures.He never responded.

In 2011, he snarked that if Jedward's entry into the competition that year won, the twins would never sleep again. In the end, they were eighth. Earlier in that year's televote, he joked "Quick, someone take a picture", when The British entry that year went temporarily in the lead early on after high votes from Russia(4), Bulgaria(12) and Italy(10). In the end, the song dropped down the 11th, earning 100 points. Very annoyed, Norton claimed 'We were better than Jedward'.

Other

In July 2000 Graham was one of three judges of the Miss Lesbian Beauty Contest 2000 held at The Talk of London, Dury Lane. The contest was won by 42 year old Carol Hutchins who wowed the audience with her sit-down comedy routine from a wheelchair. Graham described Carol as a "very bright, funny lady."

Graham Norton played Mr. Puckov in the 2006 American comedy spoof film ''Another Gay Movie''. In 2007, Norton played Taylor in the romantic comedy film ''I Could Never Be Your Woman''.

Norton was involved in a high-publicity advertising campaign for the UK National Lottery as an animated unicorn, the stooge to a character based on Lady Luck (played by Fay Ripley). He has also advertised McVitie's biscuits.

In 2007, Norton featured in Girls Aloud and Sugababes' Comic Relief video for the single "Walk This Way."

In January 2009, Norton made his West End stage debut in a revival of ''La Cage Aux Folles'' at the Playhouse Theatre.

Since 2009, Norton has been the host of the comedy game-show ''Most Popular'' on US cable television channel WE tv.

Norton currently writes an advice column in ''The Daily Telegraph'' newspaper. In October 2010, these columns were made into a book entitled ''Ask Graham'', published by John Blake Publishing.

Personal life

Norton has stated that he felt "out of place" growing up in Ireland; his family are Protestant yet the Republic of Ireland is overwhelmingly Catholic. Norton took part in the TV programme, ''Who Do You Think You Are?'', to trace his ancestry. It was discovered that his family were originally planters sent over from England to take over Irish land. Some members of his family had fought for the British Monarchy during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and taken part in a massacre of Catholics in Carnew Castle. Another member of his family was later killed in battle by the United Irishmen. Norton said he was comforted to find out that his family had resided in Ireland for generations.

In 1989 while living in London, Norton was mugged, beaten and stabbed by a group of attackers on the street. He says he lost half his blood and nearly died, and he was hospitalised for two and a half weeks.

Norton is openly gay.

Norton suffers from vitiligo, a skin disorder in which patches of depigmented skin occur.

Norton caused controversy on 7 October 2006, when he described ecstasy as "fantastic."

Immediately after hosting the BAFTAs in 2009, he said he returned home only to fall down his stairs and break two ribs. Some sources claimed that he presented the next Graham Norton Show on crutches, but this is not true, although he did make a comment about it, related to ''Pushing Daisies'', by saying "in ''Pushing Daisies'' people die in all sorts of bizarre ways... someone else was killed by a man dressed as a crash-test dummy, and some idiot almost died when he got drunk and fell down the stairs after presenting the BAFTAs. As if that could happen in real life!"

TV appearances

Main presenting credits

''Carnal Knowledge'' (TV series, co-presenter) (1996, 27 one hour shows)

''Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment''

''So Graham Norton'' (1998–2002)

''V Graham Norton'' (2002–2003)

''NY Graham Norton'' (2004)

''The Graham Norton Effect'' (2004–2005)

''Graham Norton's Bigger Picture'' (2005–2006)

''Strictly Dance Fever'' (2005–2006)

BBC/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical theater talent searches (2006–present)

* ''How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?'' (2006)

* ''Any Dream Will Do'' (2007)

* ''I'd Do Anything'' (2008)

* ''Over the Rainbow'' (2010)

''The Big Finish'' (2006–)

''When Will I Be Famous?'' (2007)

''The Graham Norton Show'' (2007–present)

''The British Academy Television Awards'' (2007)

''Live Earth'' (2007)

''Eurovision Dance Contest'' (2007)

''The One and Only'' (2008)

''Eurovision Dance Contest'' (2008)

''Eurovision: Your Country Needs You'' (2009–present)

''Eurovision Song Contest'' (UK commentator, 2009–present)

''Totally Saturday'' (2009)

''Most Popular'' (2009–present)

''Would You Rather...? with Graham Norton'' (BBC America, 2011–present)

Other television credits

''Rex the Runt'': A Crap Day Out ''Absolutely Fabulous'': Gay ''Who Do You Think You Are? (British TV series)

!Year!!Title!!Character!!Broadcaster
1996–98	''Father Ted'':	* Hell	* Flight into Terror	* The Mainland	Father Noel Furlong	Channel 4
rowspan=3	2001	|	The Plants voice	BBC
''Rex the Runt'': Patio	Osvalde Halitosis voice
''The Kumars at No. 42''	Himself
2002	|	Himself	BBC
rowspan=4	2007	Who Do You Think You Are?'' ||	Himself	BBC
''Saving Planet Earth''	*Saving Wolves	Himself	BBC
''Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List''
''Robbie the Reindeer'' in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind	Computer voice

Radio

''Just a Minute''

Sitting in for Steve Wright August 2009 BBC Radio 2

Sitting in for Chris Evans May /July 2010 BBC Radio 2

On 2 October 2010, he began his weekly BBC Radio 2 Saturday show taking over from Jonathan Ross. The show airs from 10.00am-1.00pm and combines a mixture of music, chat and celebrity guests.

2011/12 Radio 2 Saturday mornings

Filmography

''Stargay'' ''Another Gay Movie'' ''I Could Never Be Your Woman''

!Year!!Title!!Character!!Production
1999	|	Graham Solex	Canal+
2006	|	Mr. Puckov	Luna Pictures
2007	|	Taylor	The Weinstein Company

Stand-Up videos

''Live At The Roundhouse'' (19 November 2001)

Awards

1999 : Gaytime Award for ''Gay Entertainer of the Year''

2000, 2001, 2002 : BAFTA Award for Best Entertainment Performance - ''So Graham Norton''

2001 : RTS Television Award for Best Presenter - ''So Graham Norton''

2001 : TRIC Award TV Personality of the Year

2011 : BAFTA Award for Best Entertainment Performance - ''The Graham Norton Show''

References

External links

Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of University College Cork Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters Category:Gay actors Category:Irish columnists Category:Irish expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:Irish male comedians Category:Irish people of English descent Category:Irish television talk show hosts Category:LGBT comedians from Ireland Category:LGBT people from Ireland Category:LGBT radio personalities from Ireland Category:LGBT television personalities from Ireland Category:People from County Cork Category:People from Dublin (city) Category:Survivors of stabbing Category:United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest

cy:Graham Norton de:Graham Norton es:Graham Norton fy:Graham Norton ga:Graham Norton nl:Graham Norton no:Graham Norton pl:Graham Norton ro:Graham Norton sv:Graham Norton

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Jonathan Ross
birth name	Jonathan Stephen Ross
birth date	November 17, 1960
birth place	Camden, London, England
nationality	British
occupation	Broadcaster, film critic
years active	1987–present
spouse
children	2 daughters, 1 son
parents	Martha Ross }}

Jonathan Stephen Ross, OBE (born 17 November 1960) is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' from 2001 until he left the BBC in 2010. Ross began hosting a new chat show on ITV1 starting 3 September 2011. Ross also hosted his own radio show on BBC Radio 2, and acted as a film critic and presenter of the ''Film'' programme. Other regular roles have included being a regular panellist on the comedy sports quiz ''They Think It's All Over'' from 1999 to 2006, and presenting the annual British Comedy Awards from 1991 to 2007, and 2009 onwards.

Ross began his television career as a programme researcher, before débuting as a television presenter for ''The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross'' on Channel 4 in 1987. Over the next decade he had several radio and television roles, many through his own production company, Channel X. In 1995 he sold his stake in Channel X, and embarked on a career with the BBC. In 1999, Ross took over presenting the ''Film'' programme from Barry Norman, and also began presenting his own radio show, while two years later he began hosting ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''. For the chat show, Ross won three British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards for Best Entertainment Performance, in 2004, 2006 and 2007. By 2006 Ross was believed to be the BBC's highest paid star. In 2005, Ross was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to broadcasting. Ross has been involved in controversies throughout his broadcasting career. As a result, in 2008 he wrote a semi-autobiographical work titled ''Why Do I Say These Things?'', detailing some of his life experiences.

Ross has been married to the author, journalist and broadcaster Jane Goldman since 1988; they have three children. Ross and Goldman have together established the television production company Hotsauce TV. Ross is known as an avid fan and collector of comic books and memorabilia, and has written his own comic book, ''Turf''. Ross is known for his distinctive voice, flamboyant style of dress, and his light-hearted banter. He is also known for his characteristic difficulty in pronouncing the sound 'r'.

Personal

Ross was born in Camden, London, England on 17 November 1960, a son of British actress and radio presenter Martha Ross. He grew up in Leytonstone and is the brother of journalist, television editor, and media personality Paul Ross; TV producer/actor Miles Ross; TV producer Simon Ross, and music industry professional Adam Ross. He was educated at Norlington School for Boys, a comprehensive school at the same time as his elder brother Paul, and at Leyton County High School for Boys, a comprehensive school. He also attended Southampton College of Art, now known as Southampton Solent University. He then studied Modern European History at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University of London.

Ross married author/journalist/broadcaster Jane Goldman, nine years his junior, in 1988, when Goldman was 18. They have since had three children: Betty Kitten (named after Bettie Page), Harvey Kirby (named after Jack Kirby, a comic book creator whom Ross especially admires), and Honey Kinney. The family lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb.

Ross and others have used his rhotacism for comic effect and he is sometimes known as "Wossy," including on his Twitter feed (@wossy).

Ross is known for owning exotic pets. He is a big music fan and the first band he saw live was punk rockers X-Ray Spex at Islington's Hope and Anchor pub in North London. He is a big fan of David Bowie, Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry, Queen (he was in the audience for Queen at Wembley), British punk rock, Spandau Ballet, Sparks, ''Star Trek'', ''Doctor Who'' (his favourite Doctor was Jon Pertwee), and comic books. Ross has even co-owned a comic shop in London with Paul Gambaccini and released ''Turf'', his first comic book, in 2010, with American artist Tommy Lee Edwards. He was also the visual inspiration for the main character in the comic book ''Saviour''. Ross is also greatly interested in Japan, presenting a BBC-TV series on many different aspects of Japanese culture, ''Japanorama'', for three series between 2002–07. He was a regular at London's ''Blitz'' club during the early 1980s (famous for the Blitz Kids). He is a fan and friend of the singers Morrissey and George Michael.

He is a close friend of comedian Ricky Gervais and bought him a kitten after Gervais' previous cat, Colin, had died. The cat's name is Ollie and was presented to him on an episode of Ross' talk show ''Friday Night With Jonathan Ross''. He was one of the special celebrity guests in the final episode of Gervais's second season of ''Extras'', in which Gervais's character, Andy Millman, and Ross were shown to be the best of friends after a fictional appearance on ''Friday Night With Jonathan Ross''.

He is also a friend of author Neil Gaiman, and he and his wife appear in Gaiman's short story "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch", collected in ''Fragile Things''.

In 2005, Ross was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting. He celebrated the news by playing "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols on his Radio 2 show.

When talking to Colin Farrell on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' on 19 February 2010, Ross claimed not to have consumed alcohol for ten years.

Ross has attended a fund raiser for the James Randi Educational Foundation called ''The Amazing Meeting'' in London in 2009 and 2010. Interviewed by Rebecca Watson, Ross described himself as a big fan of James Randi and the other speakers – who were mainly prominent sceptics – and said that he and his wife had come to have a sceptical view of the world. Ross has been supportive of Simon Singh's efforts to defend an accusation of libel by the British Chiropractic Association and Ross has posed for the ''Geek Calendar 2011'', a fund raiser for the libel reform in the UK.

At a book signing event in Central London in September 2010, Ross stated that as a youngster he went to school in Leyton (Leyton Senior High School) and supports Leyton Orient F.C.

On 6 June 2011, it was announced that Ross' beloved pug Mr Pickle had been killed in an accident on board a train while Ross was filming a new travelogue show for ITV. Mr Pickle was well known to both viewers and listeners of Ross' TV and radio shows.

Career

Child actor

Following the acting lead of his mother, who appeared as an extra on television shows such as ''East Enders'', Ross appeared in television ads as a child actor. His first, for the breakfast cereal Kellogg's Rice Krispies, gave him his television debut in 1970, when he was 10 years old. He also appeared in an ad for the laundry detergent Persil.

Early career

Ross began his adult career as a researcher on the Channel 4 show ''Loose Talk''. After leaving this, he worked on various other shows before beginning another research job on ''Soul Train'', which became ''Solid Soul''. It is believed his first appearance on television was as an extra in the 1981 ''It Ain't Half Hot, Mum'' episode, ''The Last Roll Call''.

Channel X: 1987–95

Whilst on ''Solid Soul'', he met fellow researcher Alan Marke, and the two devised what would prove to be a breakthrough hit for Ross in 1987, ''The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross''.

The pair based their concept on the successful American show ''Late Night with David Letterman'', and formed a new production company called Channel X, to produce a pilot. Ross was not originally slated as the show's host, but with little time to find one Jonathan Ross stepped in and made his television debut on the show in January 1987.

While the series was initially a co-production with Colin Calendar, ownership transferred to Marke and Ross, meaning that the latter retained a great deal of control as well as being presenter. The show proved popular for both Ross and for Channel 4, making him one of the major personalities on the channel.

A year later, his documentary series ''The Incredibly Strange Film Show'' introduced many to the works of cult filmmakers like Sam Raimi and Jackie Chan.

In 1989, he co-presented the biennial BBC charity telethon ''Comic Relief'', the same year he launched ''One Hour with Jonathan Ross'' a short lived chat show on Channel 4, most notable for the game show segment "Knock down ginger" which introduced comedians such as Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson to television.

In 1991, he presented the annual ''British Comedy Awards'' on ITV. He has presented the event each year since, but in 2008 announced he would be stepping down from the role following his suspension from the BBC. In 1992 he presented an interview with Madonna about her ''Erotica'' album and ''Sex Book'' promotion.

In 1993, he was the narrator for ''FIA Formula One 1993 Season Review'' video.

Ross has appeared in numerous television entertainment programmes on several channels throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He was a regular panellist on the sports quiz ''They Think It's All Over'', and hosted the panel game ''It's Only TV...But I Like It''. Other projects include the BBC joke-quiz ''Gagtag'', the Channel 4 variety show ''Saturday Zoo'', new-acts showcase ''The Big Big Talent Show'', and the ITV programme ''Fantastic Facts''.

In 1995 he left Channel X, despite its profitable nature. He was quoted in a 1998 article as stating:

Television 1995–2006

In 1995 he presented ''Mondo Rosso'', a programme about old ''cult'' films. He took over presenting of the Film programme, the BBC's long-running cinema review series, in 1999 after Barry Norman left the show. Ross himself has made a number of cameo appearances in films, playing himself in the Spice Girls' film ''Spice World'' (1997) and voicing the character of Doris in the UK version of ''Shrek 2'' (2004). He also played himself in ''Only Fools and Horses'', presenting ''Goldrush'', a fictional television quiz on which the main character, Del, was a contestant. In 2001 he voiced characters in two episodes of the animated comedy series ''Rex the Runt''. In the 30 October episode of ''Film 2006'', Ross also claimed that he had appeared as an extra in the 1981 film 'The Rise and Fall of Idi Amin', as an Israeli soldier raiding Entebbe Airport. He also appeared on the first pilot show for ''Shooting Stars'', acting as a team captain.

BBC Radio: 1999–2010

Ross began presenting a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2 in 1999. He has also presented radio shows for BBC Radio 1 and Virgin Radio (having previously worked on Richard Branson's earlier venture, ''Radio Radio''), as well as the now-defunct commercial radio network service ''The Superstation'', where his producer was Chris Evans.

From 23 May 2009, Ross' BBC Radio 2 show was pre-recorded 24 hours before broadcast. This decision was made to make the show more watertight and, according to the press, to make sure any of Ross's off-the-cuff comments might be edited out.

Ross' show on Radio 2 last aired on 17 July 2010 when his contract at the BBC ended.

''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'': 2001–10

On 2 November 2001, Ross began presenting his chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''.

In 2005, Ross anchored the BBC television coverage of the Live 8 concerts. Later that year he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting. He celebrated the news by playing "God Save the Queen" by The Sex Pistols (which was banned by the BBC when released in 1977) on his BBC Radio 2 Saturday morning show. On 21 June 2006 Ross was made a Fellow of University College London, where he studied.

In early 2006, Ross announced that after eight years he was quitting his regular panellist seat on the sport/comedy quiz show ''They Think It's All Over'', stating:

However, after Ross' departure, only two more episodes of the show were made before it was cancelled.

In January 2006 he presented ''Jonathan Ross' Asian Invasion'', broadcast on BBC Four. The three-part documentary followed Ross as he explored the film industry in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, interviewing directors and showcasing clips. His interest in Asian culture and his self confessed love for anime and video games led him to making three series of BBC Three show ''Japanorama'', as well as producing another series for the same channel called ''Adam and Joe Go Tokyo'', starring Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish. He produced the latter programme through his own production company Hot Sauce.

In June 2006, a bidding war was sparked between BBC and other broadcasters for Ross' services. Although other broadcasters were unsuccessful in poaching Ross, it is believed that their bids were higher than the BBC during negotiations. ITV, who bid for Ross, poached chat host Michael Parkinson around the same time. Ross became the highest paid television personality in Britain, when a new BBC contract secured his services until 2010, for a reported £18 million (£6 million per year).

On 25 June 2006, he performed at the Children's Party at the Palace for the Queen's 80th birthday. In August 2006, Ross was enlisted to ask the first question since the transition from beta for the Yahoo Answers in UK and Ireland. On 16 March 2007, Ross hosted Comic Relief 2007 alongside Fearne Cotton and Lenny Henry. On 7 July 2007 Ross presented at the Live Earth concert.

Starting on 10 September 2007 he presented the BBC Four series ''Comics Britannia'', about the history of the British comic. This forms the core of a Comics Britannia season, which includes another documentary, ''In Search of Steve Ditko'', by Ross.

In May 2008, Ross won the Sony Gold Award "Music Radio Personality of the Year".

On 3 August 2008, on BBC1, he hosted ''Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad's Army''.

In 2010, Ross took part in ''Channel 4's Comedy Gala'', a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

On 7 April 2010, Ross' first comic book was published. Turf was written by Jonathan himself and drawn by artist Tommy Lee Edwards. In 2011, Ross wrote an introduction for ''The Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 1'', a collection of work by the American comics artist featured in Ross' 2007 documentary.

In one of his last appearances on the show, Ross was bundled on repeatedly by Gary Lineker, Ross Noble, Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett & Tinie Tempah, after a performance of Gorillaz' iconic song "Clint Eastwood" & "On Melancholy Hill".

Leaving the BBC (2010)

On 7 January 2010, Ross confirmed that he would leave the BBC in July 2010, having decided not to renegotiate his contract. This would see him leave all his regular BBC roles, namely his Friday night chat show, Radio 2 show and a film review programme, although he would be continuing with some specials, such as Comic Relief and the BAFTA Awards.

Explaining the decision, Ross said:

Although I have had a wonderful time working for the BBC, and am very proud of the shows I have made while there, over the last two weeks I have decided not to re-negotiate when my current contract comes to an end. While there, I have worked with some of the nicest and most talented people in the industry and had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest stars in the world, and am grateful to the BBC for such a marvellous experience. I would like to make it perfectly clear that no negotiations ever took place and that my decision is not financially motivated

The decision came a day after it was announced that Graham Norton had signed a two year deal with the BBC, and the BBC's media correspondent Torin Douglas speculated Norton would be a ready-made replacement for Ross's chat show role, while Mark Kermode of BBC Radio 5 Live was a potential successor in the film review role, but that "replacing Ross on radio will be harder". Ross last appeared on the film programme in Episode 10 of ''Film 2010 with Jonathan Ross'' aired on 17 March 2010. After Kermode publicly ruled himself out on 26 March, Claudia Winkleman was announced 30 March 2010 as his replacement as host of ''the Film programme'', who was to host Film 2010 from September 2010.

Ross's final ''Friday Night'' chat show episode aired on 16 July 2010, with David Beckham, Jackie Chan, Mickey Rourke and Roxy Music as guests. Ross ended the show with an affectionate tribute to his guests and to the audience, while mentioning that he had promised his friend Morrissey that he would remain composed and "wouldn't cry". His final Radio 2 show was broadcast the following day. Patrick Kielty initially took over Ross' Radio 2 slot from 24 July 2010 after which Graham Norton took over permanently.

2010 onwards (ITV and Cinemoi)

On 14 December 2010, Jonathan Ross announced his creative partnership with CineMoi, the UK's first and only independent French film channel. His deal with the company gives him a multi-faceted role as presenter, producer, creative director and shareholder in the company. A life long cinephile Ross has a unique perspective on French film and hopes to encourage 'first-timers' to explore a world of film that differs slightly from that of the regular Hollywood fare.

On 19 December 2010, Ross presented a three hour Channel 4 list show, ''100 Greatest Toys'', with the broadcaster describing Ross as a "huge toy enthusiast with a private collection that would rival any museum's."

In 2011, he presented ''Penn & Teller: Fool Us'' on ITV, a collaboration with magicians Penn & Teller.

Ross's new chat show ''The Jonathan Ross Show'' began on 3 September 2011 on ITV1, drawing an audience of 4.3m viewers, compared to the 4.6m for his finale on the BBC show. The first series will run for thirteen weeks. Speaking about the new show, Ross said: "I am thrilled and excited that after a short break I will be rolling up my sleeves and creating a brand new show for ITV1."

Controversies

BBC contract

In April 2006, Ross, along with other BBC personalities, had details of his fees leaked to the tabloid press. It was claimed at the time, by a then unidentified BBC mole, that Ross earned £530,000 (equivalent to £10,000 per show) per year for hosting his Radio 2 show. While refusing to comment specifically on the leak in line with the BBC policy on the matter, Ross did hint during his radio show that the figure was exaggerated; in addition to this, any pay highlighted as being 'his' would actually be split between himself and his producer/co-presenter on the show, Andy Davies.

David Cameron interview

In June 2006, when Conservative Party leader David Cameron appeared on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'', Ross began a line of questioning relating to Conservative ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, culminating in the question "Did you or did you not have a wank thinking of Margaret Thatcher?". Ross was defended by the BBC publicly, but repeat showings of the interview have been banned.

Heather Mills comment

In 2006, Ross was criticised when he made a joke against Heather Mills, soon after she and Paul McCartney announced they were to divorce. He branded Mills, who only has one leg, a "fucking liar" and that he "wouldn't be surprised if we found out she's actually got two legs".

"1,000 journalists" comment

On 5 December 2007, Ross joked at the ''British Comedy Awards'' that his salary meant that he was "apparently worth 1,000 BBC journalists". His quip came shortly after the BBC had announced plans for more than 2,000 jobs cuts, and was condemned as "obscene" by the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists. Ross has denied this saying that he was commenting on a piece that was written in a newspaper about his salary being that of 1,000 journalists:

"You know where that came from? The newspapers. After the fee was announced, they said, 'The BBC says he's worth 1,000 journalists', so on the Comedy Awards I made a joke that began, 'Apparently I'm worth 1,000 journalists according to the newspapers.' Every time it's quoted, is the word 'apparently' ever used? Which does change the meaning somewhat."

The Russell Brand Show and Andrew Sachs

Following a guest appearance by Ross on ''The Russell Brand Show'' broadcast on 18 October 2008, Ross was suspended for 12 weeks without pay by the BBC on 29 October, after a series of answer phone messages were left for 79-year-old actor Andrew Sachs regarding Sachs' granddaughter Georgina Baillie, by Russell Brand and Ross, which were broadcast on the pre-recorded show. After little initial interest, a media story about the calls generated a high number of complaints. Brand resigned from the BBC, while Ross was suspended without pay. BBC director general Mark Thompson stated that Ross should take the disciplinary action as a "final warning". The BBC was later fined £150,000 by Britain's broadcast regulator for airing the calls.

On 21 November 2008, the BBC Trust said that the phone calls were a "deplorable intrusion with no editorial justification". The trust gave its backing to Ross's 12 week suspension but recommended that no further action be taken against him. He returned to work in January, and the first episode of a new series of ''Friday Night With Jonathan Ross'' with guests Tom Cruise, Stephen Fry and Lee Evans, and music from Franz Ferdinand, was broadcast on 23 January 2009.

Gwyneth Paltrow interview

The BBC Trust ruled that Ross’ interview with Gwyneth Paltrow, broadcast on 2 May 2008, breached editorial guidelines. They ruled that bad language in an episode of Ross's pre-recorded BBC1 chat show, ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'', in which the presenter told Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow he "would fuck her" was "gratuitous and unnecessarily offensive". The trust said it disagreed with the judgement made by BBC management that the episode should be broadcast uncensored, adding that the comment was made in an "overly sexual way" and that it had upheld a number of complaints made about the edition of ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''. The trust reminded BBC staff that "the casual gratuitous use of the most offensive language is not acceptable on the BBC in accordance with the BBC's existing guidelines and practices", adding that "this particularly applies in entertainment programmes".

''Hannah Montana'' comment

On 13 May 2009, Ross was accused of homophobia after a comment he made on his radio show. In which he said,

If your son asks for a ''Hannah Montana'' MP3 player, then you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption in later life, when they settle down with their partner.

An incorrect version of this quote was also circulated, in which Ross was accused of saying:

If your son asks for a Hannah Montana MP3 player, you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption before he brings his … erm … partner home.

Ofcom received 61 complaints following the comment. A representative from the BBC defended Ross saying the comment was made "purely in jest" and that "Jonathan is not homophobic in any sense and never meant for his comments to be taken seriously." On 7 July 2009, Ofcom ruled that Ross did not breach the broadcasting code. They wrote in their opinion that "the comment was clearly presented as a joke intended to make light of the reactions that some parents may have if their child chooses a toy that is very widely recognised to be designed and marketed for the opposite sex" and that the nature of the joke and tone and manner in which it was presented "made clear that it was not intended to be hostile or pejorative towards the gay community in general." Stonewall criticised the ruling; saying "the fact that a comment is light-hearted does not absolve it from perpetuating the stereotypes that lead to homophobic bullying."

Video games

''Fable III''

Year	! Video game	! Role	! Notes
2007	''Halo 3''	UNSC Marine
2010	|	Barry Hatch

Honours and Awards

2006, made a Fellow of University College, London (UCL), into which his alma mater, SSEES, had been absorbed.

2012, Special Recognition award at the National Television Awards.

References

Further reading

''Jonathan Ross: The Biography'', Neil Simpson, John Blake Publishing Ltd (31 July 2007), ISBN 184454432X

''Why Do I Say These Things?'', Jonathan Ross, Bantam Press (16 October 2008), ISBN 0593060822

External links

''The Jonathan Ross Show'' on itv.com

Interactive video talk by Jonathan Ross on Ealing studios for the British Film Institute

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