'Wossie' in trouble over the 'T-word'

The BBC was forced on the defensive last night after senior Conservatives attacked it for broadcasting "disgusting" remarks about Baroness Thatcher by Jonathan Ross.

The chat show host asked David Cameron if he had had sexual fantasies about his predecessor when he was a schoolboy. The presenter then asked: "Did you or did you not have a wank thinking 'Margaret Thatcher'?"

Lord Tebbit, a friend of Lady Thatcher, told The Mail on Sunday: "If I had been on the show I would have told Ross he was a slob. It's a pity that Mr Cameron didn't tell him so and leave the show."

The BBC said that it received 27 complaints. A spokesman said: "Jonathan's style is well known. He has got a tongue-in-cheek approach and his interviewing technique features a certain amount of innuendo. David Cameron said afterwards that he was pleased with it."