THE JONATHAN ROSS SHOW TONIGHT: MEET THE FAMOUS GUESTS ON THE SOFA

On The Jonathan Ross Show this week, Jonathan is joined by actor Will Poulter, singer Craig David, renowned comedians Jack Dee and Roisin Conaty and former Queen of the Jungle and sporting legend Jill Scott. Plus, a performance from Simple Minds of their iconic hit Don’t You (Forget About Me) ahead of the song’s 40th anniversary. 

Footballing star turned podcaster and pundit Jill Scott reveals how she almost injured the future King, explaining she first met Prince William while playing football with him at an event: “We were opening this school. I just had trainers and it was astro turf. I slipped and wiped him out. [I thought], ‘I’ve just slide-tackled the future King!’ He’s such a lovely guy.”

Jill also talks about receiving her MBE in a non conventional way explaining: “It was Covid time. I bought all the outfit [but it had to be delivered to home instead and] I missed it one day. You know when you get the [missed parcel note]. I missed the parcel. So I went to pick it up… and it was my MBE. It was in the sorting office in Warrington.” 

She adds: “Prince William did write me a nice letter, he’s really supported the women’s team over the years. He’s so lovely, he’s always supported the team.”

Explaining a viral photo of her and Prince William where she’s holding her hand in an awkward gesture, Jill explains: “Before the Euros he came to St. George’s Park to say hello to the girls and wish them luck. I took our coffee cup [to give him from our coffee shop]. I thought it’d be a nice gesture. I give it to his security. There [in the picture] I’m trying to explain to him the difference between a flat white and a large latte.”

Of other awkward moments caught on camera Jill discusses swearing during the Euros 2022: “The camera angle was just looking at me. As I got up I swore quite bad. And I actually hate swearing, so I don’t even know why I did it. That’s the truth. I feel really bad saying it. It’s so bad.”

Jill reveals she now has a tattoo in reference to the words she said: “The story of that, I was on League of their Own, we had Mary Earps on, she’d been swearing at the recent World Cup, so I said I’ll go and get a tattoo of the abbreviation [FOYFP]. I showed her it… it didn’t even make the edit. Romesh [Ranganathan] was like, ‘Is that real? What an idiot, why did you get that done?’” 

Later Jill discusses being engaged but not yet married and it seems fellow guest Craig David could help move things along as Jill says: “If you’ll come and sing…” 

Craig replies: “Genuinely, let us know. Maybe it’s the moment. If it gives you the opportunity to have that day, rather than an endless moment, maybe we can make it work. I’m in, I’m in.”

Jill is also asked if she thinks the Lionesses can be champions again to which she says: “Yes, I do think they can. I think it’s going to be difficult. In sport, when you’re a team that’s won, there’s a target from the other nations. But you look at the players, the team is so strong, so I’m looking forward to a month in Switzerland. Hopefully I’ll get some work. I’m really enjoying doing the podcast and stuff. I do like the fun element.”

Jill also talks about being a former Queen of the Jungle on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. Describing the hardest moments she says: “Because I’m so scared of heights, at the beginning, walk the plank was the first thing I did. That was really difficult. We had Charlene [White] who’d walked out first and then Babatunde [Aléshé] and he just couldn’t do it. So Charlene was stuck. This went on for quite a while. I just kind of marched out. If I hadn’t gone, she’d have been stuck. So team mentality kicked in.”

Revealing she likened her campmates to a football team, Jill said: “I thought, ‘Right, there’s 11 of us, so that’s our football team. Boy George, centre mid field, Captain. Matt Hancock, substitute’, I’m joking…” 

Craig David also talks about his MBE, saying: “It was Prince Charles at the time, now King. It was at Windsor Castle. I went with my mum which was the best part. She was pinching my finger saying, ‘We’re in the Queen’s house.’ The place where I grew up is actually called Queen’s House, the name of the flat I grew up in. Lewis Hamilton was being knighted. He was with his mum. We gave a quick wink to each other. The Queen was in residence. It was a beautiful moment.”

Celebrating 25 years since his debut single, Craig says of his first Number 1: “When the penny dropped was when Destiny’s Child Say My Name was No.2. I had their posters on my wall. It’s one of my favourite songs. I was just in awe of what’s going on. It’s been really wholesome and looking back, how these songs have touched people’s hearts.” 

Actor Will Poulter discusses new film Death of a Unicorn saying of the characters: “They are the worst people you can imagine. There’s some serious fashion crimes in this film. We just kept laughing at the fact, I’m quite a silly looking human being, so if we went for really short shorts and maximised the amount of pale lanky legs on show… it was often short shorts and dress shoes without socks.” 

Will also admits of stretching the truth over the years for parts saying: “I’d done that actor thing of pretending I can do stuff.

“I didn’t learn until I was about 28. I had a driving scene on a film called Detroit. It took 17 takes to pull into my own driveway. I’m so scared of unemployment that I will stretch the truth.” 

Preparing for TV series The Bear, Will went into some real kitchens: “No one really knew that I was an actor or why I was there. Within about 15 minutes I’d sliced open my finger trying to portion a turbot.” 

Will also discusses being cast in Warfare the movie: “I feel really lucky to be part of Warfare… This is a very literal depiction of a real event. Everything you see happened in reality. There’s no dramatised elements. We all have a real life counterpart. Some of those are active. I was with him a couple of days ago. I went surfing with him in San Diego. Don’t recommend going surfing with a Navy Seal… they are better than you.” 

He adds: “We did all develop nicknames [on set]. A guy called ‘Lamb Bone’, I don’t even know how that happened. I was called ‘Daddy’. Nothing untoward. I played the officer in charge, very fortunate to take on this leadership role. Getting on to the lads about getting in the van on time, laundry day… you don’t want to have to answer to a navy seal instructor if you’re late.”

Speaking about accidents on set Will says: “You realise when you do films, you’re so much better off handing over to the stunt people. Guardians of the Galaxy I attempted to do some of the stunts. I had a fight sequence with Dave Bautista. I haven’t done a tonne of fight choreography. I accidentally punched Dave straight in the face… Then my stunt person stepped in.”

Comedian Jack Dee describes a mishap he had while trying out a new hobby: “[I thought] kite surfing - going to try that… I managed to get to a point where I was actually on the surf board and had the kite in the air… but I wasn’t in the water, I was on the beach being dragged along. My shorts got ripped off. I just scratched the whole of my groin area very badly. It was painful. I won’t ever do any of that again.” 

Of being deadpan he admits: “My daughter Phoebe is getting married. I have to make a speech, Father of the Bride. The thing is, that’s not a comedy speech. For me, I feel like I need to have coaching because I can’t do sincerity very well. People think I’m being sarcastic. I mean it, but it never comes across well. So I’m going to have to work on that. I need some acting lessons.”

Fellow comedian Roisin Conaty discusses seeing Jack Dee at a young age: “I’m a huge fan of Jack and his tour show was the first ever live stand up tour I ever went to see. I went with my school. We had a teacher that came in and said, ‘I have tickets to see Jack Dee.’ It was a brilliant show but a girl in my class who came farted the whole way through it…” 

Speaking about pranks after April Fool’s Day, Roisin adds: “My mum is someone I enjoy pranking because she’s never lost her innocence. She will believe it every time. One of my favourites, I once phoned her and told her that because she’d changed electricity providers she was getting a dalmatian delivered in two hours and it was part of the small print. She was like, ‘What? I can’t have a dog!’ [And on the phone I’m saying] ‘Well, you signed the form lady, it’s on its way.’ She was so stressed out, she was in bits. So I get her quite a lot.” 

At the end of the show Simple Minds perform their iconic hit Don’t You (Forget About Me) ahead of the song’s 40th anniversary. 

The Jonathan Ross Show airs Saturdays on ITV1.