Shame old jokes from Jonathan Ross

SHAMED TV presenter Jonathan Ross could not resist joking about his three-month ban from the BBC as he returned to work yesterday.

Jonathan Ross back after a three month ban greets guest Tom Cruise Jonathan Ross, back after a three-month ban, greets guest Tom Cruise

Speaking at the recording of his ­Friday Night With Jonathan Ross show, he made several wisecracks about his enforced time off for his part in the “Sachsgate” phone scandal.

But the BBC’s highest-paid presenter displayed some humility too, apologising to his studio audience for his part in the tasteless affair and insisting he would be more careful with his words from now on.

EXPRESS ENTERTAINMENT: FULL LIST OF OSCAR NOMINEES 2009!

He said he had “a great responsibility” as a TV host and apologised for the offensive messages left by him and comedian Russell Brand on the answer machine of Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs, 78.

“Seriously, I would like to apologise,” said, Ross, 47, after joking about how great it had been to have time off. “We have got a great responsibility, what we do is a privilege and I will be more aware in the future.”

Many audience members queued to get a seat for Ross’s comeback at the BBC’s west London studios yesterday lunchtime, with security guards enforcing a ban on mobile phones.

EXPRESS GALLERIES: GET TODAY'S NEWS IN PICTURES

Security was extra-tight because Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise was a guest on the show, to be screened on BBC1 tonight. But the programme, which will be edited and approved by BBC chiefs before broadcast, was still littered with swearwords.

Referring to his enforced time away from BBC TV and radio studios, the £6 million-a-year presenter kicked off his first show with a smile and the opener: “So, where were we?”

Then he began a series of jokes about George Bush’s habit of stumbling over his words in public, alluding to his own part in the Sachs affair.

“What kind of idiot would say stuff like that, knowing it would be broadcast?” he said of Bush and, no doubt, himself.

Ross later appeared to make light of his suspension again when he interviewed Cruise. During a gap in filming, he asked the star what he planned to do with his spare time now he had finished promoting his new film, Valkyrie, in the UK.

Cruise said he was so busy he “never had any time off”, to which Ross replied: “Well, you want to try getting banned.”

Cruise admitted on Wednesday that his publicity team had briefed him about the Sachsgate scandal in case it came up during filming.

Actor, writer and TV presenter Stephen Fry, another guest on the show, told Ross: “I’m very happy to help you get off the naughty step.”

At one point Ross was confronted with a huge picture of Russell Brand on his studio TV screen and yelled: “Get it off! Not him, not him.”

How much of his jokes and pranks will make tonight’s final cut remains to be seen. But the comeback clearly means far more to Ross than he was letting on. His wife, film producer Jane Goldman, arrived hours before the recording to offer him her support.

Friday Night With Jonathan Ross is on BBC1 tonight at 10.35pm

Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?