Chatshow host will feature in a series of pre-recorded segments on BBC2 astronomy event fronted by Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

He is more well known for interviewing stars than gazing at them, but chatshow host Jonathan Ross is joining the lineup for BBC2's three-day astronomy event Stargazing Live.

Airing in the first week of January, the programme will be fronted by Wonders of the Solar System presenter and particle physicist Professor Brian Cox and comedian Dara O Briain.

Ross will feature in a series of pre-recorded segments in which he will be learning how to use a telescope, helped by The One Show's astronomer, Mark Thompson.

Stargazing Live will be broadcast from the site of one of the world's largest telescopes and aims to get the public looking at the heavens.

The show will be Ross's most high-profile TV role for the BBC since his exclusive contract came to end in July. He returned last month to host BBC4's world cinema awards.

Speaking today at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch in London, Jana Bennett, BBC Vision director, said there was no acrimony between the BBC and Ross following the ending of his exclusive contract in July and the publicity surrounding the Sachsgate affair – which began after he and Russell Brand left lewd messages on actor Andrew Sachs's answering machine.

"Jonathan actually left on quite good terms, we never shut the door. We did not say he should not be on the BBC. He's doing this, he's doing Bafta film awards. He's still involved," Bennett added.

Bennett said Ross – who has signed a non-exclusive deal with ITV to present a chatshow – had telescopes at his home and wanted to get more out of them.

"He's someone who's a huge enthusiast and he'll be a big advocate. Stargazing Live is about mass participation," she added.

She said his payment for his contribution would be a "galaxy away" from the reported £3.6m-a-year deal he used to be on with the BBC.

Bennett also unveiled a new peaktime maths series for BBC2 called The Code, presented by Marcus du Sautoy, who recently fronted The Story of Maths on BBC2.

The Code will see du Sautoy go in search of a mysterious code – the numbers, shapes and patterns that govern the world around us.

BBC2 controller Janice Hadlow has also commissioned Do We Need the Moon?, an exploration of Earth's relationship with its satellite, presented by leading young space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock.

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