Daily View: Jonathan Ross's departure from the BBC

Clare Spencer | 09:53 UK time, Friday, 8 January 2010

Jonathan Ross Jonathan Ross announced that he will be leaving his job as a radio and television presenter at the BBC. Commentators are divided as to whether this is good or bad news.

The Telegraph editorial says "good widdance" to the presenter who they say was overpaid and vulgar:

"Ross was hired because he was seen as edgy and possessed an appeal to young people, who do not necessarily pay the licence fee. Too many of those who did pay it never warmed to him and were appalled by his often vulgar humour. For them, he came to personify a corruption of taste across the BBC's output - a collective madness we trust will follow him out of the door."

David Sexton in the Evening Standard is unhappy as he feels that those who complained about Jonathan Ross won:

"The shows have become tamer and duller, the guests more predictable. The prudes pulled him down in the end."

George Eaton in the New Statesman asks if "licence fee rebels" will now pay up, after refusing to pay after the decision to keep Jonathon Ross on:

"Can we expect the rebels to pay up? [Daily Telegraph columnist Charles] Moore insisted that he would refuse to pay the licence fee until the BBC terminated Ross's contract. The presenter's voluntary departure may not be enough to satisfy the High Tory."

The Guardian editorial says Jonathan Ross's performance suffered after the "Sachsgate" affair so it was right for him to go:

"A presenter who won praise from bosses for having 'the fastest mind to mouth' in radio now records a once-live programme and double-checks his off-the-cuff comments. The result is a Friday-night chat show that should have been renamed Curb Your Enthusiasm. A huge talent, Mr Ross will do better out of the publicly funded spotlight for a while."

The editor of the Radio Times Ben Preston says in the Independent that Jonathan Ross will be missed:

"Jonathan is a wickedly mischievous but slick chat show host, and, above all, an inspired radio presenter long regarded at the BBC as the natural heir to Terry Wogan - if only he'd ever been willing to get out of bed on weekdays."

Andrew Hill at the Financial times says bankers and Jonathan Ross have a lot in common:

"Nothing is the same again. There is no escaping the criticism about excess compensation now. From the City to White City, plans are set in motion for increased pay transparency ."

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