The Jonathan Ross Show this week goes from dad jokes to fight scenes

On this week’s The Jonathan Ross Show, Jonathan is joined by comedian Jack Whitehall, award-winning actress and writer Cush Jumbo OBE, YouTuber turned boxer and hugely successful entrepreneur KSI, plus the multi-platinum selling singer Paloma Faith who will also be performing in the studio ahead of her hotly anticipated sixth album. 

Firstly, Jonathan speaks to comedian Jack Whitehall following the release of his stand-up TV special Settle Down. Speaking about recently becoming a father, Jack says, “Little Elsie. Five months in so very much still in the trenches. She is absolutely adorable. Jack then jokes, “We’re still trying to work out who the father is as she is far too cute to have anything to do with me – she’s adorable.”

On embracing his new role as a father, Jack says, “I’m surprised how quickly I turned into a dad. The transformation was overnight. I was already telling dad-jokes.”

Speaking about the differences of performing in America and the UK, Jack says, “I found the biggest shift was when I was doing my tour in America this year. I was saying for the first time my girlfriend was pregnant and it was insane, completely over-the-top and they’re all whooping. I came back to England for the first show and said it expecting that same reaction, I was in a theatre in Leicester and it was complete silence.”

While discussing fight scenes alongside fellow guest Cush Jumbo, Jack reveals, “I’ve done a couple of fight scenes. I did one fight scene where they had to fly me back out six months after to do a re-shoot because the director said I threw a soft punch.”

Later, Jack speaks about filming intimate scenes and using body doubles, “They hired this guy and he turned up on set and they stripped him down and he was quite hairy. Apparently they shaved him in the make-up truck. I then came into the make-up truck and took my shirt off, they didn’t realise that I am also quite a hairy man. Without my knowledge, one of the producers then sent the guy home. I said ‘I will now shave myself to match the double who now no longer matches me.’ They ended up not using him because I did the sex scene. I got the worst note ever because I was doing the sex scene and I thought in my head I was looking all sensual and sexy and the director came in after the first take and said, ‘It’s coming across a bit like Benny Hill.'”

Speaking about his new TV special Settle Down, Jack says, “It’s all about this shift in my life, how I am becoming old and boring and begrudgingly becoming a bit more like an adult.”

Next, Jonathan speaks to award-winning actress and writer Cush Jumbo OBE following the release of her new crime thriller series Criminal Record.

Recounting her time living in America, Cush reveals what she missed most about life in Britain, “I lived there for nearly six years and there was one main thing that I really, really missed and that was Greggs. You can’t get a cheese and onion slice like it. You can’t really ask for a pasty without someone looking at you…they go on your t**s!”

Speaking about her friendship with Peter Capaldi, Cush says, “We don’t seem like likely mates do we? We worked together on Torchwood. He directed me on Getting On with Jo Brand. His wife also produces the show and was working on Vera and I worked on Vera and we just kept coming into contact. He’s hysterical, he’s really funny. We’re proper mates so we decided to be nemeses in the show and really hate each other.”

Touching on doing her own stunts on her new series, Cush says. “I do a lot of my own stunts on this show. I do have somebody that helps me with stuff because I can’t do everything all the time. I am quite a physical actor, I like knife fights, I like shooting…on the show. I love learning that stuff and being able to perfect it with the camera.”

Later in the show, Jonathan plays a game of True or False in dispelling rumours about his guests. One of the rumours is that Cush never misses an episode of Coronation Street which she reveals to be true. Cush says, “No matter where I am in the world. I do Shakespeare and I watch Corrie.

Asked by KSI if she watches EastEnders, Cush says, “No, no. Corrie is my thing.”

Multi-platinum selling singer Paloma Faith soon joins Jonathan to speak about her upcoming album The Glorification of Sadness.

Revealing whether this is her most personal album yet, Paloma says, “They’re all personal but it’s just that the worst thing that happened to me, happened and I wrote an album about it. It chronicles the stages of grief I went through breaking up with my partner of ten years and father to my two children.”

Speaking about her relationship with her ex-partner now, Paloma reveals, “We’re really good. We’re doing really well and I think it’s as well as can be. I’m not pretending I’m like Gwenyth Paltrow, I’m not consciously uncoupling. At times, it’s awful but we’re navigating and I do think we’re doing a lot better than some couples that are married. My observation is that the reason why our relationship is so good now is that I expect nothing from him and vice-versa.”

Revealing how her ex-partner feels about the break-up inspiring her new album, Paloma says, “He knows what he signed up for. He was a little bit disappointed when he saw the end of my How You Leave A Man video. He did go ‘Why am I in the trunk?’ It’s a metaphor babe! He was a bit offended. But he now knows we’re together forever – it means the absolute eternal thing is that our love came together and made these kids, it is infinite. We are in a different situation. I’ve dedicated the album to him and my children to say this is infinite love.”

Speaking about going on tour next year, Paloma says, “Excited as hell. It’s my favourite thing on earth to do. It’s the only time I’m not anxious. I find real life really overwhelming and I think going on stage is the only time I have to fully commit to the moment. I just love that. It’s like relief.”

While playing the True or False game, Paloma reveals her extraordinary encounter with superstar Beyonce while working as a sales assistant in a lingerie store. Paloma says, “She was so nice. I was a shop assistant. It was a day when everyone called in sick – I covered for a lot of people. There was no staff apart from me and one other person.”

Paloma continues, “I was serving some awful customers who were really bossy. She [Beyonce] walked in. You are absolutely my idol! I tried to keep it cool. She asked me something and I went upstairs to get it. Halfway up the stairs this bloke who was in the dressing room with his wife peeped his head around the corner and said ‘Excuse me, we need your help.’ I said ‘I’m just getting something for another customer for a second if you bear with me.’ He said ‘Just because somebody famous is in the other cubicle does not mean you need to kiss her a**e.’

“He pulled his wife out of the dressing room half naked and he dragged her into the street as she was getting dressed. This face popped round the curtain and it was ‘Queen Bey’ and she was like ‘I’m so sorry I’ve put you in that position.’ At the end she came to the till to sign her bill – extortionate! And then she held my hand and said ‘What else do you do?’ and I said ‘This is really lame but I do sing.’ And she said ‘I wish you all the luck in the world with your career – you’re a special person.'”

Finally, YouTuber turned boxer and hugely successful entrepreneur KSI speaks to Jonathan about his new documentary The Sidemen Story.

Speaking to Jonathan about taking his parents on holiday to Dubai and staying in the same room that the Jenner sisters had stayed in, KSI says, “I took them to the same room that Kendall and Kylie Jenner were. It was so crazy. For us, it was wild. Even to the point, we were logged into their Netflix. Kanye was on there!”

On leaving the Sidemen back in 2017, KSI says, “I wanted to make it big in America. I made a video about it and I said ‘Yeah, I just want to leave the Sidemen.’ Mainly because of one of the guys – Ethan. We had beef. He saw that video and made a diss track.”

Asked by Jonathan about topics that the Sidemen explore in their content such as mental health, KSI says, “It’s crazy what people say online. They say some mean things, pretty rude things. It’s quite wild. There are so many ways that people try to get under your skin, making fun of your loved ones, a disability – they’re ruthless.”

Speaking about showing their vulnerability, KSI says, “It shows we’re human. I know a lot of people just see us on this YouTube screen or whatever screen we’re on. Behind closed doors we go through normal things and it can get very tough at times.”

Revealing his decision to move into boxing, KSI jokes, “I just felt like I wanted to punch some people.” KSI then adds, “Boxing is one of the hardest things a man can do or a woman. The training is so intense. Getting punched in the face hurts. I wanted to try it out.”

Reflecting on being defeated by Tommy Fury, KSI says, “I technically don’t believe I lost. I still think I won. I don’t believe it. I didn’t lose.” On whether he’d fight Tommy again, KSI says, “For Tommy, that’s all he does – the boxing. That is his whole thing. For me, I wanted to try out the boxing and it ended up reaching a decision and he obviously got the judges on his side.”

Asked by Jonathan if he has any plans to return to boxing, KSI says, “You never know. I might dibble and dabble. I might fight again this year.”

The Jonathan Ross Show, Saturday, 9.05pm on ITV1, STV, STV Player and ITVX