This really is a non-story. Jonathon Ross is probably always only just ready for transmission seeing as they record it the day before. What is interesting though is that, if I remember correctly, they used to bleep 'fuck' out, which they don't now. I always used to think they bleeped it just because it was the BBC being all 'oh, we're a respectable broadcaster, how could we use such language'. I wonder if Ross's supposed £20 million contract had anything to do with that change.

"It was impossible to bleep out all the swear words as that would have drowned out the interview completely."

Which, of course, is untrue. Unless of course *every* word is a swearword, in which case it wouldn't be much of an interview with bleeping or without. What they really mean is they couldn't be fucked to go through and put all the beepy effects in because they're a bunch of lazy pricks. Sack the sound editor because he clearly doesn't enjoy his job, is the answer to that one.

And yes, I'm saying that sound editors will only bleep out as many swear words as they *enjoy* doing, and implying therefore that it's a task done for fun and not out of necessity. Bastards.

Are we not assuming this is a 'leaked' story used for promotional value and not, actually, any kind of production problem at all?

Let's face it, post-BB there has to be a lot of work done to keep the 'stars' in the public eye...

Well, it is the Daily Star, so I didn't take it entirely seriously.

There will be a limit to the number of times expletives can be uttered, unbleeped, on a show like Friday Night With Jonathon Ross before BBC bosses go mental.

It's amazing how the attitude to swearing has changed over the years, the word fart was generally regarded as a swear word (well as far as I remember anyway) until Will Carling made his comments about the 57 old farts. And the word wanker (or wank, I'm not 100% certain) has been used on The Simpsons,

I'm quite impressed by Hodges use of "wanktard"in the first episode of series two of Bones.

> And the word wanker (or wank, I'm not 100% certain) has been used on The Simpsons

That's just because it's not widely known in the States. Sky One cut it out over here.

>That's just because it's not widely known in the States.

The more common definition of "wanker" here would be someone who is overly flirtatious, with a sexual end in mind. But even THAT isn't common.

And if you're looking for use of the word in American programs, Peggy Bundy's maiden name was Wanker...and she even came from Wanker County.

Yeah, there was a 50 Cent song called 'Wanksta' wasn't there? I remember seeing it and thinking 'wtf...how is that allowed...' It doesn't mean the same in the U.S. I remember nearly spilling my drink everywhere when Charlie on Lost called Locke a 'bald wanker'. I think it's said on Fresh Prince as well, only on the DVD though, I think Geoffrey (the English butler) says it. I suppose 'wank' is just the English way of saying 'jerk-off' which isn't really considered as cursing, surely.

> >And the word wanker (or wank, I'm not 100% certain) has been used on The Simpsons
>That's just because it's not widely known in the States. Sky One cut it out over here.

I don't recall wanker been cut out, however that's probably as I watched the episode on DVD, I've not watched The Simpsons on Sky for years.

I think the funniest line I've heard which has a completely different meaning in the UK to the States was in M*A*S*H where Col Potter was talking about "fanny fungus". Not the sort of phrase you expect to come up when you're a kid watching tv with your parents.