And now it's time for Film 2008... without Jonathan Ross

SHAMED BBC presenter Jonathan Ross has been dumped from his annual TV review of the year’s films.

Ross has been edited out of the BBC s film review of the year Ross has been edited out of the BBC's film review of the year

The comedian was due to present the December show, but his contributions have been cast on to the cutting-room floor.

A BBC insider said: “Ross has been effectively removed from the show. He did an interview with Daniel Craig for Quantum Of Solace, but his questions have been edited out. Even his commentary has been done by another presenter.”

The programme, expected to be broadcast on December 30, even has a new title.

It was to be called Film 2008 Review Of The Year, but it now goes by the name, Film Of The Year 2008, to distance it from the regular review show presented by Ross.

Last month the BBC suspen-ded Ross from his Radio 2 show and BBC1’s Friday Night With Jonathan Ross after it ruled that he and fellow broadcaster Russell Brand had behaved “offensively” over lewd phone calls to actor Andrew Sachs.

The movies show snub is the latest setback for Ross who has a £6million-a-year contract with the BBC. It was recently revealed that out-sourced shows by production companies like Ross’s Hot Sauce are to be phased out by the corporation.

Television sources say that even anodyne children’s shows are coming under closer scrutiny because the BBC has gone compliance crazy. Following the now infamous radio prank message to the 78-year-old Fawlty Towers actor, the Sunday Express launched a Clean Up TV crusade to ban the f-word, and to keep Ross off the air.

As part of the crusade, the broadcasting watchdog Mediawatch launched a Stop Swearing On TV petition on the Number 10 website.

John Beyer, director of Mediawatch, said: “In May the Radio Times conducted an opinion poll, which found that 69 per cent of people believed there is too much swearing on TV.

“We believe swearing on TV has reached such proportions that it is threatening the English language, that it is undermining the Government’s policies on education to improve communication skills and hindering initiatives to restore respect and civility to our society.”

Our calls for better standards on TV are already achieving results. In a victory for the Clean Up TV crusade, it has been revealed that the BBC re-edited its Martin Shaw drama Apparitions after the Sunday Express exposed graphic scenes of violence and gore, including the flaying a corpse in a gay sauna.

Ross is planning a dramatic return to the small screen when his suspension comes to an end in the New Year. It has emerged that he is trying to book Hollywood star Tom Cruise for his first show back from suspension.

A TV insider said: “They want to come back with the biggest show possible.”

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