English TV presenter Jonathan Ross has plenty of reason to celebrate this weekend after the BBC offered him a new deal. And the statuesque celeb can certainly afford to crack open a few bottles of bubbly, as the £18-million contract will make him one of the highest-paid figures in British broadcasting history.
The 45-year-old, who presents Film 2006, Hollywood Greats and Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, is one of the national broadcaster's most popular stars. Earlier this year rival channels ITV and Channel 4 offered him £15 million to defect, however, provoking a bidding war with the Beeb. According to insiders, the BBC then upped their offer to £12.5 million, but when C4 decided to stump up £18 million, bosses agreed to equal the amazing bid.
And "Wossy", as he is commonly known, isn't the only small screen favourite who's looking forward to a bulging bank balance, as Noel Edmonds has likewise signed a lucrative new agreement. The veteran entertainer, who recently snapped up a £1.3 deal to host the quiz show Deal Or No Deal, has now landed a £500,000 contract to write a self-help book about the New Age faith he credits with his success.
"You'll think I've gone away with the fairies but it's fantastic," explained the 57-year-old. "It is quite reassuring about life after death and spiritual things. It's a quite deliberate code and people will have the opportunity to crack it."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
