It's Friday nights without Jonathan Ross for the Beeb

The motormouth presenter whose 18m pay deal caused as much controversy as his near-the-knuckle presenting style, announced he was leaving amid reports he was facing a pay cut of two-thirds in the wake of the row over offensive prank phone calls to comedy actor Andrew Sachs.

But as a cheerful Ross, 49, handed out cups of tea to photographers who besieged his home in Hampstead, north London, he insisted his departure had nothing to do with money, saying: "I've had a great 13 years at the BBC. I think it's probably not a bad time for me to move on and probably not a bad time for them either.

"It's been terrific. I would love to stay and make more shows with them. I've got six months left and I'm going to go back and try and make the best shows of my career with them."

Ross will leave when his contract – believed to be worth 18m over three years – expires in July. Until then, he will continue with his Friday night chat show, Saturday BBC Radio 2 show, and the Film programme.

BBC insiders reportedly said Ross had offered to halve his wages but the corporation wanted to reduce them by two-thirds to 2m a year, to bring him in line with comedian Graham Norton – who is being touted to take over the Friday slot. Radio 5 presenter Mark Kermode has been tipped to take over the Film programme.

In a statement, Ross said. "I would like to make it perfectly clear that no negotiations ever took place and that my decision is not financially motivated.

"I signed my current contract with the BBC having turned down more lucrative offers from other channels because it was where I wanted to be and – as I have said before – would happily have stayed there for any fee they cared to offer, but there were other considerations.

"I love making my Friday night talk show, my Saturday morning radio show and the Film programme, and will miss them all. I look forward to continuing work on these shows until the summer, and I will continue hosting the Bafta Film Awards, Comic Relief and other BBC specials."

Jana Bennett, director of BBC Vision, said she could "understand" Ross's decision "following a difficult year", adding: "Jonathan Ross has told us that he's decided not to pursue the renewal of his contract with the BBC.

"Jonathan is an extremely talented broadcaster and his programmes for BBC TV and radio have been a great success. However, it's been a difficult year for him and I understand why he feels it's the right thing to do."

In 2008, Ross was suspended without pay for three months, and the BBC fined 150,000, after he and comedian Russell Brand left a series of offensive messages on the answerphone of Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs during an episode of Radio 2's Russell Brand Show.

The comments – which related to an alleged relationship between Mr Sachs's granddaughter and Brand – led to a public outcry. More than 50,000 people complained to the BBC and questions were raised about the corporation's judgment in paying so much to a presenter who caused such offence.

Brand subsequently resigned from his radio show over the scandal which also saw Radio 2's controller, Lesley Douglas, and head of compliance, David Barber, quit their jobs after clearing the programme for broadcast despite knowing about its contents.

Ross also caused outrage within the BBC when he joked about his pay packet at the British Comedy Awards in 2007, saying that he was "worth 1,000 BBC journalists" at a time when the corporation was cutting thousands of jobs.

There were also complaints about his language and risqu behaviour towards guests on his chat show, with actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Conservative leader David Cameron both being asked explicitly sexual questions.

Ross said he would be meeting a contact from Los Angeles, sparking speculation he might try to further his career in America.

METEORIC RISE TO TV FAME

Jonathan Ross burst into the national consciousness in 1987 with his Channel 4 show The Last Resort – so named because nobody would make it except his own company.

It was the start of a meteoric rise for the London-born former child actor in TV commercials for Persil and Rice Krispies, who began his TV career as a researcher for magazine shows. He soon had his own chat show, Tonight With Jonathan Ross, and then came Saturday Zoo, showcasing new talent.

His star began to fade in the 1990s, and by his own admission he was drinking too much and suffering badly from nervousness. But stints on Virgin Radio and BBC Radio 2 provided a comeback, and he won a string of Sony Awards.

He landed the prestigious job of presenting the BBC's Film programme, taking over from Barry Norman and attracting a younger audience. High-profile appearances hosting the British Comedy Awards and a regular slot on They Think It's All Over followed, and then in 2001 he began hosting Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.

In 2005 he received an OBE for services to broadcasting.