Jonathan Ross & Russell Brand Suspended

[Scott McFly]

Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand have been suspended in the wake of the scandal over their lewd calls to Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs. Skip related content

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Sex Gag: Ross And Brand Suspended

BBC Director General Mark Thompson, said: "This is not a marginal case. It's clear from the views expressed by the public that this broadcast has caused severe offence and I share that view.

"This gross lapse of taste by the performers and the production team has angered licence payers."

The granddaughter of Sachs has called for the pair to be sacked.

Georgina Baillie, 23, said she may make an official complaint to police about Brand's prank radio show phonecalls to her grandfather.

However, she did admit that she had slept with the controversial comic.

The BBC has received more than 18,000 complaints over a broadcast on October 18 in which the two presenters rang up Sachs and left messages on his answerphone in which Brand said he had slept with Miss Baillie.

Ross, 47, suggested the veteran actor Sachs might kill himself when he listened to the message.

Miss Baillie, who dances in a burlesque troop called Satanic Sluts, told The Sun: "What's funny about humiliating a lovely old man who has never harmed anyone in his life?

"My grandfather is really upset and says he wants the whole situation to end.

"I will be speaking to him to ask whether we should complain to the police and we'll be making the decision as a family.

"They (Brand and Ross) should at least pay for what they've done with their jobs."

Aspiring model Ms Baillie also said that the Radio 2 bosses who allowed the DJs' on-air calls to be broadcast should also go.

She added that she felt "totally and utterly exposed and betrayed" by the calls.

The media watchdog Ofcom is investigating the broadcast while the furore even drew condemnation from Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Sachs, 78, told the BBC his granddaughter "feels very guilty".

"I have not seen or spoken to Georgina yet. She's very upset at having put her family through this and she feels very guilty," he said.

As to seeing her in the newspapers, he said: "I do not like it, would you? But it's her life and I just let her get on with it.

"Jonathan Ross has personally delivered a letter of apology and some flowers.

"He made no excuses and was very frank and open. He's in a lot of trouble and I don't want to pile any more on him."

Jeremy Hunt, the shadow culture secretary, told Sky News that all broadcasters needed to take their responsibilities more seriously.

But he said: "I have every sympathy with her [Miss Baillie] but I do not think it is right for MPs to call for the heads of certain presenters."

Source: Yahoo.

It's maybe being blown slightly out of proportion considering the complaints didn't start rolling in until after the Mail On Sunday pointed it out a week after the show was broadcast. Although clearly they should know better than to essentially harass and abuse an old man like Andrew Sachs who was funnier as Manuel in Fawlty Towers than either of them have ever been. But considering I really can't stand Russell Brand and just generally dislike Jonathan Ross I'm certainly not complaining about not seeing or hearing them for a bit.

[stokeriño]

They're only being 'suspended' to take heat off while the BBC can figure out a way to invent some proverbial rap-on-the-knuckles for them which doesn't lose the company some of its most highly-rated shows.

...I am of course referring primarily to Ross when I say that.

Edited October 29, 2008 by stokeriño

[Summers]

It is abuse. If I phoned up an old man and left horrible messages such as that I'd be dealt with accordingly - through the police.

They should do. However.. it was pre-recorded. The producer is also in troube here, as it was his/her decision to air it.

[Baddar]

I fucking hate Russell Brand.

I've said it before, but I really do hate him.

[fourstarfizzle]

You just know Sachs will be the first guest on the Tonight with Jonathan Ross when it comes back

[GA!]

Here is what will happen: Brand will be fined, Ross will be fined more (as he earns more), producer will be fired, and then...

You just know Sachs will be the first guest on the Tonight with Jonathan Ross when it comes back

/\ That. /\

Oh, and then Brand will talk about his penis as usual.

[Matt]

Haev all the Russell Brand haters actually listened to the show? He spends the entire time saying "You can't say that", "I can't believe you're doing this" and "This is on his answer phone", it was also Ross that was swearing repeatedly and Ross that made the statement that Brand had "fucked his grandaughter". Of course, Brand will be sanctioned more severely because the BBC would lose more face if the blame were to be blamed on their highest earner rather than one of the media's biggest antagonists.

Also, the show was recorded on the Thursday but not aired until the Saturday night; to me that's plenty of time for Sachs to have phoned the BBC and told them not to air it.

It's been completely blown out of proportion, it was a joke that overstepped the mark, an apology should have been enough.

[IAceI]

I've been racking my brain but I don't think there's any possible way Brand will be fired but Ross kept on.

Would have been the best shot at it all but, I guess I'll take Brand back and let him continue doing shows no one watches/listens to, and let Ross back to his good stuff.

[King Ellis]

Haev all the Russell Brand haters actually listened to the show? He spends the entire time saying "You can't say that", "I can't believe you're doing this" and "This is on his answer phone", it was also Ross that was swearing repeatedly and Ross that made the statement that Brand had "fucked his grandaughter". Of course, Brand will be sanctioned more severely because the BBC would lose more face if the blame were to be blamed on their highest earner rather than one of the media's biggest antagonists.

Also, the show was recorded on the Thursday but not aired until the Saturday night; to me that's plenty of time for Sachs to have phoned the BBC and told them not to air it.

It's been completely blown out of proportion, it was a joke that overstepped the mark, an apology should have been enough.

Apparently the producer called him to check if he was ok with them airing it, he said he wasn't but they aired it anyway.

I can't stand Brand so I wouldn't mind if he dissapered off the face of the earth, don't mind Ross.

I do love the general public just getting outraged again about the liscence fee. "WHY ARE MY TAXES PAYING THESE OUTRAGEOUS WAGES FOR THESE TWO SEXIST PIGS?!"

Edited October 29, 2008 by Fat Sow-sa

[Matt]

Haev all the Russell Brand haters actually listened to the show? He spends the entire time saying "You can't say that", "I can't believe you're doing this" and "This is on his answer phone", it was also Ross that was swearing repeatedly and Ross that made the statement that Brand had "fucked his grandaughter". Of course, Brand will be sanctioned more severely because the BBC would lose more face if the blame were to be blamed on their highest earner rather than one of the media's biggest antagonists.

Also, the show was recorded on the Thursday but not aired until the Saturday night; to me that's plenty of time for Sachs to have phoned the BBC and told them not to air it.

It's been completely blown out of proportion, it was a joke that overstepped the mark, an apology should have been enough.

Apparently the producer called him to check if he was ok with them airing it, he said he wasn't but they aired it anyway.

I can't stand Brand so I wouldn't mind if he dissapered off the face of the earth, don't mind Ross.

I do love the general public just getting outraged again about the liscence fee. "WHY ARE MY TAXES PAYING THESE OUTRAGEOUS WAGES FOR THESE TWO SEXIST PIGS?!"

Eh, hadn't heard that if so; the producer definitely should be sacked but still, if Sachs was that upset by it he should have contacted the BBC first.

[stokeriño]

Really, the buck stops with the producer or whoever signed off on broadcasting it.

But now Sachs, who was no doubt somewhat annoyed but apparently placated by the apologies/flowers/etc., is being hounded by the press who are desperate for him to say that he wants Brand and Ross executed or something.

Plus every newspaper in the country is alerting the nation to the fact his granddaughter is in a burlesque troop called the 'Satanic Sluts'. That can't help.

[GA!]

Haev all the Russell Brand haters actually listened to the show? He spends the entire time saying "You can't say that", "I can't believe you're doing this" and "This is on his answer phone", it was also Ross that was swearing repeatedly and Ross that made the statement that Brand had "fucked his grandaughter". Of course, Brand will be sanctioned more severely because the BBC would lose more face if the blame were to be blamed on their highest earner rather than one of the media's biggest antagonists.

It is Brand's show though. He should keep his own show under control.

[Katsuya]

Really, the buck stops with the producer or whoever signed off on broadcasting it.

But now Sachs, who was no doubt somewhat annoyed but apparently placated by the apologies/flowers/etc., is being hounded by the press who are desperate for him to say that he wants Brand and Ross executed or something.

Plus every newspaper in the country is alerting the nation to the fact his granddaughter is in a burlesque troop called the 'Satanic Sluts'. That can't help.

And he's said that he's not going to go any further, and that he's happy they've apologised.

[supergrass]

I don't think the producer in question, Nic Philps, can be sacked by the BBC. He left the BBC a few weeks ago and works for Brand, who "produces" the show himself and then airs it on the BBC. Though I guess the BBC can and probably will halt his involvement in any future output.

I listened to the show when it originally aired - it's good to hear it context of the show each week might I add - and the reaction to this is ridiculous. Yes, it was offensive to Andrew Sachs, and that's about it. However suddenly it's Britain's beloved and cherished Andrew Sachs as opposed to "bloke with moustache who fell over a few times in Fawlty Towers". And it's "poor innocent girl exposed on the radio" as opposed to "girl who calls herself a 'Satanic Slut' and had sex with Russell Brand".

Her part in this is the worst for me. She's sobbing into every newspaper over her sex life and confidentially being divulged in public. Worth noting the two having sex was mentioned a week earlier without a response. Also that Russell Brand isn't exactly renowned for keeping these things under wraps. Moving on, quite why Gordon Brown et al feel it necessary to get involved is beyond me.

Again, the whole thing has been overreacted to. Ross won't be sacked, if Brand was it wouldn't hit him that hard, considering he's making movies and presumably drawing a lot more cash/fans from that. I suspect they'll be back, with increased listener numbers as a result. I wonder how many of these 18,000 compainees have ever heard the show outside of the 10 second clips shown on the news.

Edited October 29, 2008 by Supergrass

[stokeriño]

Quite why Gordon Brown et al feel it necessary to get involved is beyond me.

That was particularly pathetic. I saw the article title on the BBC news website, "Brown speaks out over prank calls" and my immediate action was "Ugh, what the hell". I even checked whether some idiot had asked him about it in today's PMQs, as in those circumstances I would accept that he had no choice but to provide an answer for the prat. But no, it wasn't in PMQs. It was apparently on his own "I sense a mild blip of moral outrage within the nation, let me jump upon it with unbridled cynicism even though it has very literally nothing to do with me" volition.

[GA!]

Quite why Gordon Brown et al feel it necessary to get involved is beyond me.

That was particularly pathetic. I saw the article title on the BBC news website, "Brown speaks out over prank calls" and my immediate action was "Ugh, what the hell". I even checked whether some idiot had asked him about it in today's PMQs, as in those circumstances I would accept that he had no choice but to provide an answer for the prat. But no, it wasn't in PMQs. It was apparently on his own "I sense a mild blip of moral outrage within the nation, let me jump upon it with unbridled cynicism even though it has very literally nothing to do with me" volition.

I think they address things like this and the Celebrity Big Brother racist issue as a pathetic attempt to sway absolute thicksicles who think the term "economy" is a cheap alternative to branded food by bringing up info-entertainment stories. I want the country's politicians to fix the country, not gossip about what some prick with a haircut said on a radio show.

[Iain76er]

I don't think the producer in question, Nic Philps, can be sacked by the BBC. He left the BBC a few weeks ago and works for Brand, who "produces" the show himself and then airs it on the BBC. Though I guess the BBC can and probably will halt his involvement in any future output.

I listened to the show when it originally aired - it's good to hear it context of the show each week might I add - and the reaction to this is ridiculous. Yes, it was offensive to Andrew Sachs, and that's about it. However suddenly it's Britain's beloved and cherished Andrew Sachs as opposed to "bloke with moustache who fell over a few times in Fawlty Towers". And it's "poor innocent girl exposed on the radio" as opposed to "girl who calls herself a 'Satanic Slut' and had sex with Russell Brand".

Her part in this is the worst for me. She's sobbing into every newspaper over her sex life and confidentially being divulged in public. Worth noting the two having sex was mentioned a week earlier without a response. Also that Russell Brand isn't exactly renowned for keeping these things under wraps. Moving on, quite why Gordon Brown et al feel it necessary to get involved is beyond me.

Again, the whole thing has been overreacted to. Ross won't be sacked, if Brand was it wouldn't hit him that hard, considering he's making movies and presumably drawing a lot more cash/fans from that. I suspect they'll be back, with increased listener numbers as a result. I wonder how many of these 18,000 compainees have ever heard the show outside of the 10 second clips shown on the news.

There was more than two of them.

[GA!]

Russell Brand has quit his show according to BBC News.

[supergrass]

And David Baddiel was waiting downstairs. Russell Brand should never be hired again for being such a poor host of once-popular comedians.

As bizarre as the Gordon Brown thing was, I actually recall turning on the TV last night to see David Cameron demanding answers, who has even less cause to comment (though was probably far more likely to use it as a chance to air his Conservative nonsense). I think Brown might've just been keeping up with the opposition.

[Hobo]

Miss Baillie, who dances in a burlesque troop called Satanic Sluts, told The Sun: "What's funny about humiliating a lovely old man who has never harmed anyone in his life?

"Leave my grandad alone you bad men!" says erotic dancer who shagged Russel Brand. Did we even care about Andrew Sachs being alive, dead or whether or not he really was from Barcelona until this "news" broke?

Does anyone remember when Graham Norton made a joke about one of the Bee Gees dying not long after it had happened and one of the Bee Gees threatened to beat him up? For some reason I keep thinking back to Graham Norton and wondering how he could get away with making prank phone calls and poor jokes like the one about Maurice Gibb because he was on Channel 4 and Ross and Brand because it's the BBC, and because of a certain newspaper seemingly having an issue with Ross' wages this happens?

It's all horrendously stupid.