Graham Norton will not replace Jonathan Ross
Broadcast Now is reporting that BBC insiders have categorically ruled out The Graham Norton Show as a replacement for Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.
Norton, who transferred from BBC Two to BBC One earlier this year and signed a renewed contract with the BBC earlier in the week, has been widely tipped to fill the 10:35pm Friday night slot when Jonathan Ross leaves the BBC in the summer. However, corporation sources say BBC Executive Jana Bennett and BBC One controller Jay Hunt have categorically ruled out moving Graham Norton's Monday night chatshow to Friday nights until at least 2012.
Additionally, bosses are not "keeping the slot dry" for Norton. Instead, the BBC plans to trial new formats for at least a year before introducing a regular chat show back into Friday nights.
Michael McIntyre and Chris Evans are both tipped to host the slot at some point, although it is not currently clear what format of show they would be fronting. During Ross' suspension in 2008, a new series of stand-up show Live At The Apollo was drafted in to fill the schedule gap.