Should Jonathan Ross be back on TV?

LOVE him or loathe him, shamed presenter Jonathan Ross will be back on our screens tonight.

Three months after his suspension for the now infamous BBC2 radio show where Ross and Russell Brand left an obscene message on actor Andrew Sach’s answer phone about his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie, he has rounded up celebrity guests Tom Cruise, Stephen Fry and comedian Lee Evans to relaunch his Friday night chat show.

Some people can’t wait, like Kirkbymoorside based graphic designer Henry Ives.

“Jonathan Ross is quick-witted, amusing and makes people laugh,” he said. “I thought it was an opportunity for a lot of people who didn't like the wages he was earning to have a go. A lot of younger people will have thought ‘what is all this about?’”

But not everyone agrees.

Before Friday Night with Jonathan Ross airs at 10.35pm, we ask was it a fuss about nothing or should he be banned for good?

THE BIG QUESTION: Should Jonathan Ross be allowed to return to his BBC presenter’s role?

Yes: JONATHAN Ross was wrong, but he was not the only person to blame, says Pickering-based scriptwriter Neil Raphael.

Neil, who has worked on television shows, such as Spitting Image and Rory Bremner, is not a fan of Mr Ross.

“I don’t watch or listen to him. I think he’s the worst type of performer or celebrity. I rank him there with Russell Brand. Not deserving of the adulation.”

But he believes he has the right to carry on. “I would be forgiving as I think the BBC is partially responsible,” he said.

“I think Andrew Sachs is a wonderful actor and they picked on the wrong person. It wouldn’t have mattered if it had been Beckham or another celebrity who is fairly worthless down the scale.”

Ross appears to be sorry, believes Neil; although not sorry enough.

He would like to see the shows toned down, and for producers and editors to make sure it won’t happen again.

“I would have thought they had have slapped his wrists quite a lot and said ‘last chance, sonny’. I don’t think he will do it again.”

Self-censorship is important to most comedy writers, he says, and 99.9 per cent of them know when to stop – the likes of John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson and Lenny Henry, certainly do. But freedom of speech is important too.

“I’m a great believer in free speech and I think this Government is doing a lot to stifle it,” he said. “When I started to write comedy there was a lot of self censorship. You realised what you were doing was near-the-knuckle and we were encourage to write funny stuff, but self-censorship was a legal requirement.

“There was always someone legal in the background ready to say no you can’t do this. That’s why I’m surprised this went though when it was pre-recorded. “Someone in the background allowed it to go through.”

No: AUTHOR GP Taylor would rather eat his own foot than watch Jonathan Ross.

The former vicar, who lives in Scarborough, has to watch tonight’s show because he is speaking about it on radio.

But he will not be watching again.

“This is just part of the demise of British comedy,” he said. “He’s become more belligerent over the years as his power increases. He’s become lewd, crude and obscene over the years.

“Occasionally, I delve into it to see if it’s got any better. Apart from the shipped-in A-list celebrities who want to promote their latest film, video or DVD, all you see is people like David Walliams and Ricky Gervais or the Hampstead Brat Pack who are promoted beyond their ability. They are all scratching each others’ backs.”

Ross should have been sacked, believes Mr Taylor.

Suspension without pay means nothing when you earn £6 million a year, he says, and his apology was pathetic.

“He’s arrogant and thinks he’s far superior to anyone else,” he said. “The way he behaved and the stuff he said was terrible.

“It goes beyond the realms of comedy. That’s not to say you can’t have edgy comedians; you can. Michael Macintyre is very edgy.

“He (Ross) has grown into this monster over the years. If you give someone £6 million a year, tell them they are wonderful and have them on every programme they start to think it.

“The reason for that is he has a fairly powerful role. His movie show can either make or break a movie, so a lot of people want to ingratiate themselves to him.”

Ross’s popularity is sharply declining, says Mr Taylor. “His talentlessness is starting to shine through. If you watch a Parkinson interview he would speak for 20 per cent of the interview and the interviewee for 80 per cent. Ross speaks for 80 per cent. He is rude and crude.

“I don't think he’s sorry. He’s like a naughty school boy who has been caught.”