Who is on The Jonathan Ross Show this week?
On this week’s episode of The Jonathan Ross Show Jonathan is joined by Romesh Ranganathan, Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler plus actresses and stand-up comedians Aisling Bea and Roisin Conaty.
On this week’s episode of The Jonathan Ross Show Jonathan is joined by Romesh Ranganathan, Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler plus actresses and stand-up comedians Aisling Bea and Roisin Conaty. There’s also music from American soul musician Jalen Ngonda.
For viewers searching where to watch The Jonathan Ross Show, the episode airs Saturday at 10pm on ITV1 and is also available to stream on ITVX.
Joe Marler on Celebrity Traitors, rugby and life after the game
One of the standout moments comes from Joe Marler, who reunites with Jonathan after appearing on Celebrity Traitors. Reflecting on the experience, he says:
“I had so much fun, mate. I’ve sort of realised that out of all of the cast that was part of it, I probably have milked it hard, haven’t I? It has changed my life, to be fair. I’m just trying to ride that wave for as long as I can, until what my wife says will happen: ‘Make hay while the sun shines, you’ll soon become irrelevant and/or cancelled.’ She’s a real grounder for me.”
Marler reveals he made a major career decision to take part in the show:
“The Traitors came up as an opportunity to do. It was during my last year of contract, so I had to make a decision.”
“It worked out.”
He also opens up about his rugby career, admitting:
“I wasn’t very good at the actual sport. I was half decent. I was world class at making other people s**t at it. Just taking them down. They are concentrating on being good, I’m there winding them up, undoing laces, singing, trash talk…”
Discussing the physical toll of the sport, he adds:
“It wasn’t until the last couple of years in my career [I’d think] ‘I’d quite like to be around, be fit and well to have a kick about outdoors [with my kids], jump on the trampoline without prolapsing.’ It was dangerous. The moment you start thinking about it - I started thinking about it towards the end - is the moment you start getting injured more.”
He continues:
“The concussions were bad for me. I remember tackling this big unit… I woke up in the physio room.”
Recalling a particularly frightening moment, Marler says:
“I said, ‘What kids?’ I went, ‘What? I’ve got kids?’ I just started bawling my eyes out. I’d completely forgotten that I had kids.”
He adds:
“It’s far safer than it was before and they do a lot to stay on top of it.”
Romesh Ranganathan on theatre, stand-up and near disaster
Romesh Ranganathan brings plenty of laughs as he discusses his experience starring in the West End production of Woman In Mind alongside Sheridan Smith.
He explains:
“I was playing a doctor. It was quite nervewracking. Sheridan [Smith] is one of the reasons I wanted to do the play; getting to act opposite someone who is one of our greats. It’s quite intimidating. I’ve done a bit of TV acting, but stage acting is such a different discipline… you’ve got to have the audience in the conversation, play out to the theatre… all things I’d never done before.”
Sharing a story about his mum’s reaction, he says:
“My mum said, ‘What’s your character?’ I said I was playing a doctor. She said: ‘But you don’t have any training?’ I said: ‘It’s scripted.’ She said: ‘What happens if you go to treat somebody?’ I was saying: ‘It’s a play!’”
He also reveals how even the audience sometimes blurred the lines between fiction and reality:
“One of the nights, I’m struggling to open it - as part of the play - and someone goes, ‘Go on Romesh, you can do it.’”
And on his mum’s honest review:
“She said, ‘First of all, I thought your acting was good, I thought you looked horrible.’”
Romesh also talks about his upcoming tour, Romesh Ranganathan Will Change Your Life, explaining his creative process:
“I’ve literally just started writing it. I come up with a routine, I never write any of it down, I find it on stage…”
Aisling Bea and Roisin Conaty on comedy, kissing scenes and The Traitors
Aisling Bea and Roisin Conaty bring more humour to the episode, including a candid discussion about filming awkward scenes together.
Romesh jokes about their on-screen chemistry, while Aisling admits:
“Did you not find it weird that we had to kiss each other after knowing each other [for so many years]?”
She adds:
“If you look at each other at the wrong time… and there’s a camera crew looking at you… it’s just very silly!”
And laughs:
“I felt like I was doing bad kissing. [I was thinking] ‘He’s going to tell James Acaster and all the boys I kiss badly…’”
The trio also discuss Last One Laughing, with Romesh revealing his biggest competition:
“Alan Carr’s a tricky guy… everything he does is funny. He’s lab designed to be funny that guy.”
Roisin, who appears on the show as host Jimmy Carr’s ‘Deputy’, shares how she returned to stand-up:
“One night after a massive tray of meatballs, 15 meatballs, I went, ‘It’s now.’ I just ran down [to the local comedy club], I said, ‘Let me on now’ and that’s how I got back on stage.”
A near-death kitchen moment
One of the most unexpected stories of the night comes from Romesh, who recounts a bizarre kitchen accident involving chilli oil:
“I started choking and I thought, ‘S**t, I’m going to die…’ I asked ChatGPT ‘Am I dying?’”
He adds:
“I started panicking about what an ick it would be for [my wife] Lisa to come into the kitchen and see her dead husband and chilli oil just all over the cupboards.”
Live performance from Jalen Ngonda
Closing the show is a live performance from Jalen Ngonda, bringing a soulful finish to an episode packed with comedy, candid stories and celebrity insight.
Where to watch The Jonathan Ross Show
If you’re looking for where to watch The Jonathan Ross Show, you can catch it tonight at 10pm on ITV1, or stream it anytime on ITVX.
With a lineup full of big personalities, hilarious stories and standout moments, this week’s episode is not to be missed.
