Jonathan Ross could be poised to make a sensational return to the BBC 14 years after he left under a cloud following the Andrew Sachs scandal.
The TV star, who presented Friday Night With Jonathan Ross for nine years on BBC One, defected to ITV in 2010, two years after facing a backlash and a 12 week suspension after he and Russell Brand left crude messages on Sach’s answering machine during a radio broadcast.
They joked about sleeping with the late Fawlty Towers star’s granddaughter, and in 2014 the actor – who died two years later – described the “lewd banter” as “deeply hurtful”.
Now it is reported that Ross is being eyed to star in the highly anticipated celebrity version of The Traitors.
According to Deadline, the spin-off of the hugely successful murder mystery programme is due to begin filming in 2025 with with host Claudia Winkleman at the helm.
“Jonathan is the ideal target for The Traitors producers because he’s a high-profile celebrity who doesn’t regularly appear on the reality TV circuit,” an insider told The Sun of Ross’ potential involvement.
Adding: “He’s also one of a small army of stars who are self-confessed fans of the show.”
Giving an insight into his work schedule recently, Ross admitted a “reality type thing” could be on the cards.
He said: “I’m still doing the [ITV] talk show. That’s coming back next year. I’m doing Masked Singer again. I might be doing a reality type thing if I can get all the dates to work.”
The Standard has contacted a representative for Jonathan Ross for comment.
