Following crisis talks, Jonathan Ross is coming to terms with the idea that he is no longer leading the salary ranks. After being top of the pay and perks tree for nearly a decade he has slipped below Bruce Forsyth and now comes right behind Graham Norton.
A backlash from licence-fee payers has forced the BBC to rethink its pay scales. Ross has confirmed that his pay has been slashed by fifty percent to a mere £3 million a year for two years.
Commercial television hasn't fared any better, with advertising revenues down, forcing its top-ranking stars to renegotiate lower rates.
"Jonathan Ross isn't the only one facing a slash" said a media spokesman. "Ant and Dec have been cut by a third, and even Katie Price is going down. Davina McCall has just renegotiated her contract - due to the fading popularity of Big Brother, she's ended up with a ridiculous figure."
A spokesman issued this statement: "Following a far-reaching review of remuneration in respect to the credit crunch, it has been regretfully decided to introduce a radical reduction in salary rates".
Jonathan Ross added: "What he said."
