Jonathon Ross Age: How Old Is The Talk Show Host?
You can already hear his voice, can’t you? Jonathan Ross has been on the British television and radio circuit so long that we all feel like we know him. But how well do you really know the talented talk show host? Any idea about Jonathan ross age? Where he started? Where he is now?
We’ll be delving into his career in tv, movies and radio. There’s a prime minister story in there. Then There’s Russell Brand. And there’s that final episode.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know…
So What Age is Jonathan Ross?
Let’s cut to the chase.
Jonathan Ross is currently the ripe age of 58. In fact, he’ll be 59 shortly.
Ross was born in St Pancras, London on November 17th, 1960. Ross’ dad was a lorry driver, and his mother an actress.
They raised him in nearby Leytonstone along with his four older brothers.
Each of them joined him in the entertainment industry too!
Paul Ross is also a TV presenter and journalist. Miles, on the other hand, is an actor. Simon is a popular producer these days, and brother Adam? He works as a musician.
Their parents must have been pretty proud.
But you want a little more than that, don’t you? Now that you know the age of Jonathan Ross, let’s take a closer look at his career so far…
Jonathan Ross and Early Life
Ross’ personal interest in film started early. He probably has his mother to thank for that! She put all of her kids forward for roles in TV adverts.
At the age of just 10, Jonathan Ross got his first gig. He appeared in a Kellogg Rice Krispies advert. Seems some people are just born to be stars, right?
A Persil advert would soon follow. But things would get better with age for Jonathan Ross. Looking back, the talk show host must admit his beginnings were modest.
In life away from the camera, Ross was a typical kid. He went to Norlington School for Boys and later Leyton County High School for Boys.
That’s where he probably learnt that boys will be boys! This was a trademark characteristic of Ross later in his career.
And you won’t believe what Ross went on to study.
Yes, surprising as it may seem, Ross would study Modern European History. You didn’t see that one coming, right?
He studied at the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies. This would later become part of University College London.
But throughout his teens the star-in-the-making wasn’t totally happy. He told the Guardian that things were pretty tough at 17:
“I was crippled with self-doubt, painfully self-conscious, very shy. I was incapable of talking to girls. I’d been at an all-boys school all my life. I’m very, very badly short-sighted – a minus 9 in both eyes – and I had thick bottle-bottom glasses. So I was unhappy in some ways, but in other ways blissfully happy, because my interior life and my home life and my fantasy world of comics was so deeply satisfying and it was so easy to immerse yourself in that.”
Thankfully, things would soon get better.
The Beginning of a Career
We told you it was a humble beginning. That beginning was as a researcher with Channel 4. Specifically, for the show Loose Talk.
Ross would get his turn in front of the camera. But he would have to work for it.
Most importantly, he had an in. He worked on other shows before starting to research Soul Train instead. This would be later known as Solid Soul.
In 1981, Ross finally got in front of the camera. In It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum, he played the role of an extra.
So it was a slow start, but his time on Solid Soul would be significant. That’s because he met Alan Marke there.
Ross and Marke Create Channel X
The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross doesn’t quite sound the same, does it? But this would be Ross and Marke’s first creation.
The two developed their show around a rather popular American chat show. Late Night with David Letterman. You might have heard of that one?
The two men created Channel X. This would be their production company.
And it seems Ross was born to be in front of the camera.
As others pulled out and more control was handed to the pair, Ross stepped in to the limelight. With no other option, he hosted The Last Resort.
It would be a huge success for both him and Channel 4. Ross would become one of the most popular personalities of the year. And that was just the beginning.
It was January of 1987 and Jonathan Ross was the young age of 26.
Just a year later, he would star in The Incredibly Strange Film Show. This would be an important step in to the film industry.
Things Move Fast for Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only was next. At such a young age, Jonathan Ross was already interviewing some pretty famous celebrities.
David Lynch was one of many celebrities to appear on the show.
Comic Relief would come next. In the same year, One Hour with Jonathan Ross would be a brief chat show.
Ross was moving up in the world of TV and radio. And his connection with the British Comedy Awards would prove to be a big step up.
Except for 2008 (we’ll get to that later), Ross presented the awards from 1991 until 2014.
But he was appearing in more and more shows. Film shows, chat shows, game shows…you name it.
In 1995 Ross made a big decision to leave his production Channel X. In fact, he sold his share. For a mere £1.
Speaking to the Guardian in 1998, Ross said this:
“It was to do with a deliberate change in my life, moving away from TV as the core of my existence to focus on my family more. So I had to give up everything to do with Channel X, and I literally got only £1 for my share, which was unbelievable.”
Jonathan Ross and Radio
He kept himself busy alright. When Jonathan Ross was the age of 26, he got his break with The Last Resort.
But that wasn’t enough for him. As well as featuring in TV, he had a talent for radio shows too.
And where better to start than BBC Radio 1? This was in 1987 too. Ross covered for Janice Long. Even if it was only two weeks, it was another break.
A Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2 would follow soon. He also worked with Virgin Radio and The Superstation. Incidentally, that’s where he met fellow DJ Chris Evans.
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
A star was born when Friday Night with Jonathan Ross began. In 2001 Jonathan Ross was the age of 41. He had already achieved a lot in film, TV and radio.
But things were about to get even better.
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was an unprecedented success. We’re not exaggerating. It was one of the most loved talk shows on British TV.
It was known to have more than 5 million viewers at times. Not bad going, right?
Before he knew it, millions of viewers were tuning in to see who was on his couch that week. Regular guests would include Ricky Gervais and Eddie Izzard. Johnny Vegas, David Attenborough and Robbie Williams were popular too.
And those were just the regular guests.
Noel Edmond? A regular. Paul McCartney? In Season 1. 50 Cent, Samuel L. Jackson and Boris Becker? Of course.
But the future prime minister of the United Kingdom?! Surely not?!
That was in Season 7. Episode 9, specifically. And Boris Johnson even claimed that he didn’t want to be prime minister anyway.
It’s true that the Jonathan Ross show became a household favourite. So did the chat show host.
A Great Honour
Ross would continue to work in TV, film and radio. He had a natural talent, and would become known for his chatty, witty style of presenting.
So much so, that even the Queen noticed.
In 2005 (not long after anchoring for Live 8), Ross was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. This would be part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.
He also became a fellow at the old university from back in the day. Things seemed to be going a little too well, didn’t they?
Unfortunately for Ross, that would all change sooner rather than later.
An Unwanted Salary Reveal
In 2006 Ross’ BBC salary was leaked. Along with other BBC stars, his salary was revealed to the British public by the Sun.
It was revealed that Ross was earning £2 million a month. It doesn’t matter if you’re Jonathan Ross or not, that’s not bad at any age. Is it?
But needless to say, the British public were surprised. That worked out at roughly £500,000 a week. For a 3-hour show.
It’s also revealed that a few months later, he signed a new bumper deal. This time it was for £6 million a year.
Not bad when you can get it, right? But understandably, the public were not impressed. Interestingly, Ross wasn’t concerned by his high salary at the time:
“I very much enjoyed it and I knew that was my worth to them. We took the Friday night slot, which didn’t exist, and made it upwards of four million people a week. The radio show was a big hit and helped change the face of Radio 2. And the film show, I think I did a very good job.”
This was one of the first blips on a flawless career so far. There would be another rather big blip soon after.
Ross and Sachsgate
Being a film critic, radio presenter, chat show host and star of a hit TV show, you’re eventually going to say something which doesn’t go down well.
And that’s exactly what Jonathan Ross did with pal Russell Brand.
Russell Brand was also presenting on BBC Radio 2. Both comics were known for a laugh, but unfortunately this time they took it too far.
In a series of prank calls for the show, the pair called Andrew Sachs. Crude comments were made about his granddaughter Georgina Baillie.
During the recording, the pair are howling with laughter. They were the only two that found the whole affair funny.
It was so bad that the BBC described the calls as “deplorable intrusion with no editorial justification.”
Brand was quickly sacked. Ross was under intense pressure as well. He was suspended for 3 months without pay.
Even the BBC was fined. Ross was also pulled from the British Comedy Awards. He would continue to present until 2014, but that’s where it would end.
In his final BBC episode (2010) – with stars Jackie Chan and David Beckham on the couch – Jonathan Ross said farewell.
But only to the BBC. ITV picked up the show and it still runs today.
The Net Worth of Jonathan Ross
At the height of his fame, Ross did well. We already revealed some of the details about his salary.
But before he turns the age of 60, Jonathan Ross will consider himself a rich man. He’s believed to have earnt a fortune of around £24 million.
Incredibly, he admits it could have been more.
“I’ll tell you exactly who offered me more: ITV and Channel 4 both offered me the same amount just to do a talk show for them, and I was offered a lot of money by one of the big commercial radio stations to do their breakfast show for three years and shares. I would have been on £9m the first year, then £8m a year, and I turned that down to stay with the BBC. So I knew I hadn’t extorted money out of them.”
It’s frightening to think how much the sharp comic could have earnt. How does his net worth compare to Eddie Hearn’s?
Jonathan Ross’ Happy Marriage
If you’re looking for the secret to a happy marriage, then you’d do well to ask Jonathan Ross! Or at least his wife Jane Goldman.
The pair have been happily married since 1988. Goldman was just 18, while Ross was 10 years her senior. He told Hello! Magazine:
“When we first got together, she was very young…I wasn’t that old but considerably older and she came straight from home with her parents.”
But even at that age, the difference wasn’t important to Jonathan Ross.
They’ve been together for more than 30 years now. They raised three children too: Betty, Harvey and Honey.
Ross claims that the success to their relationship is kindness and communication. There must be something in it! 30 years is a long time.
But the success in both of their careers has played a part too.
You already know about Ross’ career, but Jane has achieved a lot too. Ross said this:
“My wife has had a very strong and successful career and she continues to do so. And she’s certainly worked in films that aren’t usually seen in the domain of women writers, she’s done superhero movies and action films…”
Jane continues to be a screenwriter, producer and author today.
Betty Kitten Comes Out
Media accused Ross for homophobia in the past. We told you the chatterbox gets himself in to all sorts of trouble.
So it might surprise you to learn that one daughter of Jonathan Ross really came of age.
Betty Kitten came out as gay in 2011. She found it a very difficult thing to do:
“It was sort of hard. It’s just always difficult. I think just generally coming out is hard but luckily my parents and siblings and friends were all totally cool with it.”
Betty says more – “I came out as bi first and was saying I was bi for a while, then came out as gay. I get asked about it quite a bit and don’t mind.
It was difficult to an extent because I had two people that said things to me that made me never want to come out, so I was really worried about telling people I was close to in case they reacted the same way.
But of course, all the people I really cared about were nothing but accepting and happy for me, so it wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be.”
Ross, understanding as ever, revealed the news during a radio show. He admitted that he wanted his kids to be ‘good and happy.’
