Jonathan Ross, the BBC's highest-paid presenter, yesterday plunged the corporation into an embarrassing race row by claiming that the vast majority of its black and Asian staff work as cleaners or security guards.

During his Radio 2 programme, Ross, who reportedly has an £18 million three-year contract with the BBC, said its ethnic minority employees were more likely to be seen carrying a cloth than presenting programmes.

"How many black people have they got working on proper shows?" he asked. "[Black people] are either standing on the door or carrying a cloth."

Ross, who also presents the BBC's Film 2006 programme, said the BBC had not "got there in terms of race". His comments echo controversial claims made in 2001 by Greg Dyke, the former director-general, who accused the corporation of being "hideously white".

Despite Lenny Henry's regular appearances on BBC programmes, including his own, the comments will be particularly embarrassing for an organisation that has boasted about its attempts to boost the number of black and ethnic minority people in its workforce.

The issue has long been explosive for the BBC. Mary Fitzpatrick, the editorial executive of diversity, has often provoked bemusement and anger with her comments on the BBC's recruitment and employment policies.

Last August, she was at the centre of a row when she said the BBC's foreign correspondents should come from the same ethnic background as the country from which they were reporting.

The BBC declined to comment in depth on what it said were Mr Ross's personal opinions. A spokesman said: "The BBC is committed to ensuring that the organisation has a mixed and diverse work force to guarantee a good understanding of the whole BBC audience.

"BBC employment targets to be met by December 2007 are: 12.5 per cent ethnic minority employees in the workforce, and 7 per cent of senior managers. Mr Ross was expressing his own personal views and we don't want to comment further."

A spokesman for Trevor Phillips, the head of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, said: "These are interesting comments that Jonathan has made but it is not a new subject for us.

"Trevor has been saying for some time that he wants a better reflection of ethnic minorities in the industry and at the BBC. They are in danger of not reflecting British society."

But Khalid Mahmood, the Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said: "The BBC actually deserves some credit on this. There are some key presenters from ethnic minorities coming through at the moment, especially in the regions."