Best Known For:
His cheeky celebrity interviews.
Early-life:
Jonathan Stephen Ross was born on November 17, 1960, in Camden, London. He is one of six children born to a lorry driver and his film extra wife (Martha Ross had a bit part in EastEnders for over 20 years). Jonathan appeared in TV ads as a child, but after completing a degree in modern European history at the University of London, he began his TV career as a researcher on such shows as Loose Talk and Soul Train.
Career:
In 1987, Ross and his friend Alan Marke devised a format inspired by Late Night with David Letterman, and after struggling to find a suitable host, Ross stepped in. The resulting show, The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross, made him a star. Other major projects include his chat shows Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and The Jonathan Ross Show, and his stint as the reviewer of the BBC's Film programme. He's also a massive comic book fan; his first foray into the genre, Turf, was published in 2010. But he's also hit the headlines for various controversies over the years, including the notorious Sachsgate, which involved a prank call made by him and Russell Brand to actor Andrew Sachs in 2008.
Quote:
"People like coming on my show because they know they'll have fun and they know I'm going to be respectful to them. I'm never, you know, mean-spirited."
Trivia:
He's been married to screenwriter and author Jane Goldman since 1988. They have three children.