Jonathan Ross in hot water over Xmas TV jibe

Jonathan Ross in hot water over Xmas TV jibe (Image credit: Hot Sauce)

Chat show host Jonathan Ross may be forced to apologise to BBC bosses after he jokingly criticised the BBC Christmas TV schedule. The Mirror reports that the 48-year-old - who is the corporation's highest paid star - made the remarks on his Twitter page, initially ranting at a film on ITV. "WTF is this thing on ITV?" he said. "Zombie food?" However when another user pointed out that he wouldn't say the same about any of the BBC's programmes, Ross responded with, "BBC has s**te on occasionally fer sure." Viewer Neil Buckley told the paper, "Rossy’s comment might echo what we all think, but it’s an amazing gaffe to make so publicly. To attack your employer in such a way is incredible." A spokesman for Ross said, "Jonathan was commenting as a punter." However much of this year's festive schedule proved unpopular with viewers, with many branding it "appalling" on Internet messageboards. Viewing figures were down on last year with the top ten shows attracting an average of 8.7m viewers compared with 9.7m in 2008.

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.