Ross 'mortified' over homophobic accusation

Jonathan Ross has admitted that he was "mortified" to learn that he had been accused of making an allegedly homophobic comment.

The TV presenter came under fire after making a joke on his BBC Radio 2 show suggesting that parents should put their children up for adoption if they request a Hannah Montana MP3 player.

Writing on his Twitter account, he said: "Am mortified to hear some people thought I was being homophobic on radio show. Nothing could be further from truth, as I am sure most know."

He later added: "Have gay/bi family members so never been an issue. But I guess sometimes you need to be sensitive to avoid upsetting folk."

In a statement, the BBC confirmed that it had received four complaints, but insisted that the star's comments had been made "purely in jest", saying: "Jonathan is not homophobic in any sense and never meant for his comments to be taken seriously."

Speaking to PA, an Ofcom spokesperson declined to reveal how many complaints it had received, saying only: "We have had complaints. We are assessing those complaints against the broadcasting code."