He didn't just Tweet something along the lines of "show us yer bangers" to one randomer. He's requested the same off an assortment of randomers - in the region of twelve, in fact. And it wasn't just over Twitter, he managed to get some live action in thanks to Skype.

He released the following statement yesterday: "I have decided after careful consideration to stand back from The One Show to concentrate on my family." A BBC spokesperson added: "We have got nothing to say except that we accept Jason's decision." One can assume they had one or two additional things to say behind closed doors. Somewhere, Adrian Chiles is doing a happy dance - which could be partially motivated by chronic sleep deprivation.

Jason told The Sun: "'If I was reading this about someone else, I'd think, 'What an a***hole. How can he look at himself in the mirror?' He revealed he had spent hours in hotel rooms in conversation with scantily-clad female fans. The Mancunian decided to own up three weeks before his wife Catherine is due to give birth to their third child. The couple have twin daughters aged one. He said: 'There were ten or 12 people flirting and then with a few it went over the line. We would start off flirty, then innuendo and then a bit saucy. They were the moments I thought, 'I shouldn't be saying that'. It was just nice to have some interaction I suppose. But the next morning I would wake up and think, 'F***. Oh my God'. I don't drink or do drugs, so it's not like I've those to blame - just my own stupidity... I think it was because there was a danger to it. The fundamental thing is, I was a d***head. My wife has called me a d***head. We have had a serious sit-down about it and agreed that what we've got is worth fighting for. She's fine and we're fine. The kids are fine. We've got another one in three weeks. She hasn't kicked me out... "I held my hands up. I showed her all the messages. I said, 'This is what's happened' and she was disappointed. But the relationship we have is not about, 'Right, get out!' or 'You're on the couch'. I don't feel any less of a dad but I still feel I've let them down. I just hope they never find out. I hope we can move on. My wife texted me today to say, 'Me and you are fine. We are dealing with it'. I am upset that I have disappointed people. Everyone makes mistakes... The mad thing was, when I was chatting there were messages I knew went too far. They weren't just flirty. I just didn't think. I can't even describe it. It's such a weird world online. People throw themselves at you. I had this ridiculous few days - what the hell was I doing? There were a couple who said, 'Let's meet' and 'Let's do that'. That was a wake-up call. I thought, hold on a minute. That was a point where maybe I annoyed them and off they went. I went on Skype with a few girls. They also sent pictures on Twitter. It all happened on tour. It's boredom and loneliness... I have read everything that happened to people in the past. I read the papers like everyone else. I just thought, how can it happen to me? It has been a hell of a learning curve this last few weeks. It made me decide I need to clean the slate and just get on with it. Hopefully me and my wife have another 60 years together. That is the most important thing. If people don't want to come to the shows any more and I end up on the bins, that doesn't matter. I am a good dad, a good husband. From now I am going to be one forever. That's it... "I feel bad because I had a great relationship with so many people and I ruined it. At least 200,000 people are thinking, 'What a d***!' Recalling the day his wife learned the truth, Jason said: "It's the lowest I've felt in my life. I couldn't see an end to it. It was the embarrassment it caused her. I thought, 'Look at all the great things you've got'. You are going to throw them away for a bit of daftness on Twitter?' I have deleted Twitter from my phone. If a 17-year-old could see what I have done over the last few weeks, he would knock me out. All I ever wanted was to have a family and I've risked it all for some girls online."

That's enough prattling there. I could say the usual, but best leave it with a tweet from one of his followers: "I know Jason Manford is in the wrong, majorly. But he always seemed like such a nice guy. Makes it even more sad really."