Brits: Ross, Brand, and Andrew Sachs. Storm in a tea cup?

[edesignuk]

BBC pressured to sack presenters

The BBC is coming under increased pressure to sack Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross following their prank calls to actor Andrew Sachs.

His granddaughter Georgina Baillie told the Sun the pair "should at least pay for what they've done with their jobs". BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7696714.stm).

It should be noted the apparently outraged granddaughter in all of this is a fame-seeking burlesque dancer in a crew called the Satanic Sluts. Yes, you read that correctly.

So is she really outraged by a little edgy adult humour? :rolleyes:

Oh, and she's suddenly appointed Max bloody Clifford as her spokes person over night.

I want to beat most of the people in the Have your Say (http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=5560&edition=1) thing with a stick too.

FFS. Grow up people, it's not the end of the world.

[nick9191]

I say sack them simply because they are overpaid underrated absolutely not funny terrible piss poor comedians and entertainers.

[edesignuk]

I say sack them simply because they are overpaid underrated absolutely not funny terrible piss poor comedians and entertainers.You don't like them, that's fair enough. Fact is millions do, if they were the type of presenter you favour would you happily see them fired over something so trivial?

[iBlue]

Yeah it was probably not the best idea on their parts but the whole thing is being blown so far out of proportion. Nothing like overreacting to overreacting.

[skunk]

I say sack them simply because they are overpaid underrated absolutely not funny terrible piss poor comedians and entertainers.Couldn't agree more, although, even though I did not see the items in question, it does seem outrageous that this kind of grossly intrusive behaviour and breach of confidentiality be paraded in public. It really doesn't matter what the girl's occupation is.

[Sesshi]

BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7696714.stm).

It should be noted the apparently outraged granddaughter in all of this is a fame-seeking burlesque dancer in a crew called the Satanic Sluts. Yes, you read that correctly.

Allow me to be the first one to say "TPIWWOP".

[Chappers]

Sack them because they are crap - maybe - but this is silly. Even Andrew Sachs doesn't want them sacked.

[edesignuk]

It really doesn't matter what the girl's occupation is.It doesn't matter as such, but she's no librarian, so I do think it's significant in so much as to say that she's hardly likely to be shocked or truly outraged by it. Publicity seeker, pure and simple.

[skunk]

You don't like them, that's fair enough. Fact is millions do, if they were the type of presenter you favour would you happily see them fired over something so trivial?Frankly, yes. Their MO is constantly to test the limits of the acceptable. Perhaps it's time the limits pushed back.

[chilipie]

I want to beat most of the people in the Have your Say (http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=5560&edition=1) thing with a stick too.

Welcome to spEak You’re bRanes (http://ifyoulikeitsomuchwhydontyougolivethere.com/) ;)

I didn't realise Brand had actually slept with Sach's grand daughter - everything I'd seen so so far just said that he'd "claimed to have slept with her". If you willingly sleep with Russell Brand, I can't say I have much sympathy for anything that follows.

I think an apology is needed, but the grand daughter has got so much publicity out of it it's hard to feel very sorry - apart from her grandfather finding out she slept with someone like Brand, anyway.

Gordon Brown (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7695951.stm) should gtfo and go do something useful though.

[mouchoir]

BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7696714.stm).

It should be noted the apparently outraged granddaughter in all of this is a fame-seeking burlesque dancer in a crew called the Satanic Sluts. Yes, you read that correctly.

So is she really outraged by a little edgy adult humour? :rolleyes:

I listen to Russell Brand on the radio every week and did hear (and laugh) at that whole telephone answer message sequence.

However, the granddaughters job has no bearing on this. It was out of order, and rather misogynistic. And not the sort of thing to leave on a grandfathers answer machine!

I don't think a sacking is in order though, but a sincere apology would be good.

[costabunny]

I agree with Skunk here. I like a good laugh and love the 'push the boundries' style of some presenters, but they must know there are ethical and moral limits; in this case I think they stepped quite a bit over that line.

Think if it was your grandad getting calls with that content and having it broadcast to an audience accross the UK? It would make me physically ill and I would demand a head (if not a pair of nuts) on a velvet cushion....

[edesignuk]

I didn't realise Brand had actually slept with Sach's grand daughter - everything I'd seen so so far just said that he'd "claimed to have slept with her". If you willingly sleep with Russell Brand, I can't say I have much sympathy for anything that follows.O RLY? Neither did I.
I think an apology is needed, but the grand daughter has got so much publicity out of it it's hard to feel very sorry - apart from her grandfather finding out she slept with someone like Brand, anyway.Agreed.
Gordon Brown (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7695951.stm) should gtfo and go do something useful though.Definitely agreed!

[Neil321]

I'm with anyone who thinks their a pair of pr*cks ( & not just because of this ) & should be sacked, i think i read somewhere that ross gets paid something like £18m, WHAT the blokes a tosser

[Jaffa Cake]

Brand should be taken off the air. Not in relation to this particular incident though, but simply because he's an odious little weasel of a man and I really don't see why a significant proportion of the country is so enamoured with him.

I'm not overly keen on Jonathan Ross, either.

What the young lady in question may or may not do for a living is completely irrelevant, ringing her grandfather up to (among other things) boast about having slept with her – and then broadcasting it to the nation as entertainment – is out of order. Mind, milking this for what she can isn't going to do her any favours.

I'm glad Gordon Brown has got himself involved, though. Obviously all this recession talk isn't that big a deal if he has matters such as this to attend to instead.

[Dagless]

Sack them and hopefully bring a better quality BBC in its wake.

I've already shipped off my complaint (http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/) to the BBC. Mostly annoyed that these 2 idiots are being paid from my TV license fee.

[Peterkro]

I'm with anyone who thinks their a pair of pr*cks ( & not just because of this ) & should be sacked, i think i read somewhere that ross gets paid something like £18m, WHAT the blokes a tosser

I think that probably covers my view of the subject it seems all, with the possible exception of Sachs, are repulsive human beings.(although quite why it's being argued about on news programs is beyond me)

[Knox]

The calls were definitely over the line and at least some action should be taken - both against the presenters and the producers who let it be broadcast (since it was pre-recorded). However, what I find most telling is that of the 18,000 complaints about the show the BBC has now received, only 2 were made after it was broadcast (and they were about the swearing) - the rest have been since it started being publicised...

[AdeFowler]

I initially thought it was a storm in a tea cup, until I listened to it. It's the kind of thing that I was doing at parties 30 years ago… all very immature and offensive. However, the grandaughter must be ecstatic, (expect to see her on I'm a celebrity soon :rolleyes:).

An apology is adequate in my humble opinion.

[chilipie]

O RLY? Neither did I.!

Yup, was in the article you linked to ;) "During the calls, Ross revealed Brand had slept with Sachs' granddaughter." Also see this article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1081414/Georgina-Baillie-Brand-Ross-sacked-way-treated-grandfather.html) from that bastion of quality news that is the Daily Mail.

I just wish all the newspapers/TV channels would stop talking about it as if it's SRS NOOZ.

[BoyBach]

Sack "the talent" and whoever okayed the broadcast.


EDIT: Radio 5 has reported that the BBC Director General has suspended Ross and Brand until the conclusion of an investigation.

[chilipie]

Radio 5 has reported that the BBC Director General has suspended Ross and Brand until the conclusion of an investigation.

http://www.thescore.ca/blogs/footy/muntz.gif

[Blue Velvet]

However, what I find most telling is that of the 18,000 complaints about the show the BBC has now received, only 2 were made after it was broadcast (and they were about the swearing) - the rest have been since it started being publicised...


Exactly. I despise this country sometimes when it gets on one of its Daily Mail-fuelled, curtain-twitching, pursed-mouth, piously tutting moral witch hunts. While the economy melts down, this tediously trivial story has been clogging up my radio for the last two days and the involvement of Max Clifford speaks volumes.

They'll never miss a chance to take a swing at the Beeb, and while the call was pushing the line, there are appropriate ways to deal with this. Besides, I like Jonathan Ross. Not too sure about the other bloke.

[edesignuk]

It's my understanding that Ross has already sincerely apologised, Brand, I don't know.

This whole thing is such a media-hyped farce. It's a bloody circus. Complete over reaction, everyone and their mate jumping on the "blah blah...my licence fee...blah blah", it would be comical if it wasn't so sad.

[Neil321]

, this tediously trivial story has been clogging up my radio for the last two days and the involvement of Max Clifford speaks volumes..

I doubt very much you would be saying that if brand was going around saying he's been sh*gging your grandaughter on national radio

[chilipie]

I doubt very much you would be saying that if brand was going around saying he's been sh*gging your grandaughter on national radio

Brand had shagged his grand daughter. If he'd have done to me what he did to Andrew Sachs, I think I'd be happy with an apology and try to forget about it.

[edesignuk]

I doubt very much you would be saying that if brand was going around saying he's been sh*gging your grandaughter on national radioWell, other than the fact he had, Sachs himself is apparently happy to have an apology and let it be. It's his "OMG I want my face in The Sun" grand daughter that's egging the great suddenly-oh-so-moral people along.

I'm not saying what they said is right in any way, but this whole thing is being blown out of all proportion.

[Blue Velvet]

I doubt very much you would be saying that if brand was going around saying he's been sh*gging your grandaughter on national radio

First, I don't have a granddaughter. Secondly, if you knew me, you'd guess I wouldn't care that much. Thirdly, I might ask myself what she might have done to put herself in that position. Fourthly, even if it did upset me, I certainly wouldn't be pursuing it through the public domain in the pages of the Daily Mail.

[Neil321]

Brand had shagged his grand daughter. If he'd have done to me what he did to Andrew Sachs, I think I'd be happy with an apology and try to forget about it.

I know he's sh*gged her thats what i said, if some pr*ck like brand was saying this about your granddaughter would you be happy about it ? i'm sorry but i don't think an apology is acceptable,the both of them are pr*cks & should be sacked full stop

First, I don't have a granddaughter. Secondly, if you knew me, you'd guess I wouldn't care that much. Thirdly, I might ask myself what she might have done to put herself in that position. Fourthly, even if it did upset me, I certainly wouldn't be pursuing it through the public domain in the pages of the Daily Mail.

Ok thats a fair comment maybe i should have put *if*, i just think their a pair of over paid tossers who should know better and hope they both get sacked because of it

sorry about not multi quoting vevet but your post got posted before i posted mine


Anyways its looking like I'm getting out numbered here, I'm off

[Jaffa Cake]

I know he's sh*gged thats what i said, if some pr*ck like brand was saying this about your granddaughter would you be happy about it ? i'm sorry but i don't think an apology is acceptable,the both of them are pr*cks & should be sacked full stopTo be honest, no – I wouldn't be happy about it all.

The thing is though, it wasn't my (non-existant) granddaughter he was speaking about, or indeed any of us who were the victims of this prank. The person who has been wronged in this is Andrew Sachs, and if he is satisfied with an apology from Brand and Ross then that for me is the end of the matter. He says that Ross has contacted him personally to apologise which is good, Brand however as of yesterday hasn't – I'd like to think that he'll at least show a degree of humility and do so if he hasn't already. Beyond that – and a warning from their bosses about their future conduct – then it's a case of matter closed.

[BoyBach]

Surely the issue is whether the actions of Brand and Ross have brought the BBC into disrepute, and if so, is it a sackable offence under the terms of their contracts?

[Jaffa Cake]

Surely the issue is whether the actions of Brand and Ross have brought the BBC into disrepute...The BBC make Strictly Come Dancing – I don't think anything else could bring them into more disrepute... :D

[Schtumple]

The BBC make Strictly Come Dancing – I don't think anything else could bring them into more disrepute... :D

Hahaha, so true.

I think at worst they're going to get a warning and be suspended for a bit, the BBC relys on Ross and Brand, Ross and Brands show hold the 1 and 2 spots in terms of listening figures don't they?

BBC wouldn't be silly enough to sack them, they might as well sell off Television Centre, oh wait :rolleyes:

[LouisBlack]

The BBC make Strictly Come Dancing – I don't think anything else could bring them into more disrepute... :D

Heh heh.

Actually this is all quite funny to me because the granddaughter is a friend of one of my close friends. They are both in the Satanic Sluts (they do burlesque dancing at clubs, gigs and festivals). My friend is loving it all because it's free publicity for their group... And I'm sure Georgie (the granddaughter) is pretty happy about it too. They are currently at a photoshootto be in tomorrows Sun :s

Basically what Ross and Brand did was pretty horrible but it entertained a few people and Sachs has accepted an apology. And if this means that my friend and Georgie get a bit of fame for fifteen minutes then it's actually worked out pretty well :p

[velocityg4]

I have no idea as to whom any of these people are.

The way I see it. It does not matter what the content of their message was. They could have called and stated admiration for the Sachs and his granddaughter.

I assume that when they made the call to Sachs answering machine they recorded his voice. Thus without Sachs knowledge nor consent they recorded his voice over the phone. Then for their profit they broadcast said phone call. In which case they should be held liable, lose their jobs and the station that broadcast the call should lose their broadcasters license or any lesser punishment Andrew Sachs would accept.

I don't know how it is in the UK. But in the US if recording a phone call you must notify the party being recorded and receive their verbal consent, otherwise you can technically be held liable for the recording and its contents could never be used against the person recorded in any legal proceeding. The only time you do not need to give verbal warning is for law enforcement with a warrant allowing for a wiretap. Although they don't seem to be holding the FBI liable for illegal wiretaps.

[Neil321]

To be honest, no – I wouldn't be happy about it all.The thing is though, it wasn't my (non-existant) granddaughter he was speaking about, or indeed any of us who were the victims of this prank. The person who has been wronged in this is Andrew Sachs, and if he is satisfied with an apology from Brand and Ross then that for me is the end of the matter. He says that Ross has contacted him personally to apologise which is good, Brand however as of yesterday hasn't – I'd like to think that he'll at least show a degree of humility and do so if he hasn't already. Beyond that – and a warning from their bosses about their future conduct – then it's a case of matter closed.

Good point jaffa, but i still think regardless of the apology's and sachs acceptance the fact remains that they shouldn't have said it in first place & for that the pair of knobheads should be sacked

[lukegarnz]

i really can't see why this is still ongoing in the news. The only people this should have offended is Andrew Sachs and his grand daughter. Why is such a fuss being made about 2 COMDEIANS making a JOKE. It's kind of what the BBC pay them for. All the people that have complained to the BBC etc need to get on with their lives and lighten up.

I seriuously hope they don't get fired, they are 2 of a small minority of honest speaking people who aren't affraid to put two fingers up to the PC brigade!!

[Dagless]

i really can't see why this is still ongoing in the news. The only people this should have offended is Andrew Sachs and his grand daughter.
Assuming that the 'joke' wasn't broadcast this is all it would have affected.
Why is such a fuss being made about 2 COMDEIANS making a JOKE.It's kind of what the BBC pay them for.
Nope, it's been said time and time again by various people within the BBC that they're to get close to the line, not cross it (the exact words).

Also it's a bit more serious than not being "PC".

[MrSmith]

People's reactions to this - including Daily Mail and Guardian readers - skirts the issue. The issue is whether a publicly-broadcast mockery (insult) of a third person without his consent is acceptable. In my opinion, it isn't. Is that the kind of 'entertainment' we want on our TVs and radios? England has enough social problems without twats like that flushing it further down the khazi with their total disregard for decency.

[Abstract]

And not the sort of thing to leave on a grandfathers answer machine!



Think if it was your grandad getting calls with that content and having it broadcast to an audience accross the UK? It would make me physically ill and I would demand a head (if not a pair of nuts) on a velvet cushion....



Agreed.

And I actually do want these people to be sacked.

It's not the precise details of the "prank". It's that they're paid by licence payers to call the public up and give you s*** on TV and radio. And since you know Brand will cross the line anyway, may as well cut your losses and just fire him now rather than explain to people why he wasn't fired before after he does this (or something equally stupid) again.


The incident has been blown out of proportion. I'm simply saying that a quick firing of Brand would do. ;)

[JNB]

Speaking as a Yank, I have to say I'm sorry to have exported back to the mother country one of our common occurrences. This sort of thing happens fairly regularly here: "Morning Zoo"/drive-time radio hosts go over the line, moral outrage ensues, hosts get sacked, hosts get hired elsewhere after an appropriate "cooling-off" period at higher salary, process repeats ad infinitum.

The main difference is that ours aren't taxpayer-funded (except for NPR, and hardly anyone listens to that anyway), so the outrage generally takes the form of bombarding the sponsors with threats.

[chilipie]

I seriuously hope they don't get fired, they are 2 of a small minority of honest speaking people who aren't affraid to put two fingers up to the PC brigade!!

WTF do the mythical "PC brigade" have to do with any of this? They might have been acting like pricks, but expecting a little more courtesy from the pair is hardly the epitome of "political correctness gone mad" (a phrase often used in conjunction with "I'm not a racist, but...").

[Queso]

OK. I actually listen to the Russell Brand show on Saturday nights when I'm banished to the back bedroom so his-nibs gets full control of the TV ("I worked today blah blah blah"). So not surprisingly I listened to this one.

And how difficult it was to listen to. The show normally has a standard format. Brand goes into some self-absorbed nonsense and the co-host pulls him back to reality. With the usual co-host Matt Morgan away there has recently been a rotation of guest hosts, including David Baddiel, Simon Amstel and the like.

However....

Rather than pull Brand back from the nonsense, that week's co-host Jonathan Ross was actively encouraging it and even competing with Brand for centre stage. The show therefore completely lost its usual rhythm and the pair degenerated into two overexcited teenagers talking over each other whilst trying to keep to the producer's schedule. When the first phone call to Andrew Sachs went in it was Ross that started the offensive behaviour by shouting "he ****ed your granddaughter" down the line as Brand was telling the answerphone how much he admired Andrew Sachs, his ancestry, and his progeny.

The incident deteriorated after that with repeated phonecalls to apologise turning into stupidity and making matters worse.

Certainly Brand and Ross have shown that they don't have the balance of personality needed to make a radio show together, but the outcry from the Daily Mail has been more about their revenge on Brand and the BBC rather than any genuine anger. Alison Boshoff, the Daily Mail columnist, is regularly lampooned on Brand's show for her near-constant criticism of anything he gets involved in.

What this really tells us is that the BBC is very weak when standing up to propaganda campaigns in the print media, and that British people are easily persuaded into indignant rages. The bleating from the sheep has been deafening this week, only being drowned out by the sound of pitchforks being sharpened.

And meanwhile, the economy is slipping into the toilet and our troops are getting slaughtered in Afghanistan, but obviously neither of those are considered important by the public. Not important enough to complain about anyway.

[iBlue]

"We are the angry mob, We read the papers everyday. We like who we like, we hate who we hate but we're also easily swayed "

[Blue Velvet]

OK.

What an utterly reasonable post, Jaffa's too. Sums up my thoughts precisely. Let's hope this story doesn't carry through to tomorrow.

[arkitect]

Russell Brand has resigned from his Radio 2 programme following prank calls he made with Jonathan Ross to actor Andrew Sachs.

It follows a public apology from Ross over his "juvenile and thoughtless remarks" in the calls.

Earlier, it was announced the pair would be suspended and all their shows taken off air until the BBC has investigated the calls made on Radio 2.

Link… (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7698417.stm)

As they say:
Meh…

Much ado about ****** all, IMHO of course. ;)

[és:]

Exactly. I despise this country sometimes when it gets on one of its Daily Mail-fuelled, curtain-twitching, pursed-mouth, piously tutting moral witch hunts. While the economy melts down, this tediously trivial story has been clogging up my radio for the last two days and the involvement of Max Clifford speaks volumes.

They'll never miss a chance to take a swing at the Beeb, and while the call was pushing the line, there are appropriate ways to deal with this. Besides, I like Jonathan Ross. Not too sure about the other bloke.

The other bloke is famous for that type of humour. He's paid to produce that type of humour.

Whilst it was a little inappropriate the self righteous indignation that has followed is ridiculous.

[Queso]

Well, he was looking for an excuse to concentrate on his film stuff in the States anyway.

However, thanks a bunch Daily Mail for imposing your own miserable ideas on the country yet again. No wonder so many intelligent Brits are leaving the UK. It's simply not fun being here any more with false puritans stirring up the mobs day after day.

I'm so bored of this country.

[Evangelion]

Let's see if I have the facts right (I'm not from the UK). One of these guys has sex with a girl. He then calls the girls 78-year old grandfather and tells him that "I fu**ed your granddaughter. You might want to kill yourself from hearing this" (not a direct quote, but more or less accurate).

My questions regarding this:

a) why did they have to drag total outsiders in to this and humiliate him?

b) What's with the suicide-comment?

c) When did British humor turn in to crap?

FFS. Grow up people, it's not the end of the world.

I think that the only ones who need to grow up here, is that "dynamic duo" who made the call. What are they, 15?

[edesignuk]

^ They made a stupid error of judgement. The furore from the thousands that never listened to it to begin with, and the whole media madness that's been constructed is the real "obscene" thing here....IMO.

[Queso]

Let's see if I have the facts right (I'm not from the UK). One of these guys has sex with a girl. He then calls the girls 78-year old grandfather and tells him that "I fu**ed your granddaughter. You might want to kill yourself from hearing this" (not a direct quote, but more or less accurate).
No. That's not how it went at all. The one who had sex with the girl wasn't the one that originally mentioned her, or used the profanity. The conversation started when the grandfather didn't pick up the phone and the pair decided to do a scheduled interview to the answerphone. However, as the girl had been discussed on a previous show the profanity was shouted over the top of the interview. The second and third calls started as an attempt to apologise, but failed completely because Brand ended up asking for the girl's hand in marriage and then singing his apologies. And the "kill yourself" part never happened, that was mentioned in the context of what effect the first call might have had on him, whilst the pair discussed how they owed the man a "heartfelt apology".

[Abstract]

^ They made a stupid error of judgement. The furore from the thousands that never listened to it to begin with, and the whole media madness that's been constructed is the real "obscene" thing here....IMO.

So you need to have seen or heard it in order to disagree with someone's behaviour, or to find it inappropriate? :confused:

I'm not too bothered by this, but then again, to say that people are feigning anger, as they probably didn't even hear the broadcast is over-simplifying things. People can still get mad if they find out about it. That's why the news exists.

When I first read the story, I thought it was in really poor taste, and believe it or not, that they have no right to do what they did, since viewers and listeners are likely TV licence fee payers. I never even read the Daily Mail. I came up with that thought on my own. Impressed? And besides, even if someone didn't think of this when they first heard the news, they are certainly allowed to agree or disagree after I, or someone else, expresses this concern.

[Queso]

So you need to have seen or heard it in order to disagree with someone's behaviour, or to find it inappropriate? :confused:
The trouble is the print media have completely perverted the events into something they weren't, and it is the caricature that people are getting angry about rather than the reality. If you listen to the show, the two hosts are apologetic both to the audience and the grandfather after the first call, it's just they keep messing up their actual attempts to apologise during the subsequent phone calls. But the way the newspapers are spinning it the hosts rang someone out of the blue, swore at them, suggested they commit suicide, then continually rang them to drive the message home. That's not what happened.

[BoyBach]

Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas has resigned from her position.


EDIT: Jonathan Ross has been suspended for 12 weeks without pay.

[dubhe]

To all of the UK MacRumor people out there, Jonathon Ross has been suspended for three months, because of this media fiasco.

I don't believe the country we live in, I think there were more complaints received than people who listened to the radio show!

Firstly, the producer is to blame - period.
Secondly, people only complained because the media made a song and dance about it, some people will follow any bandwagon.

I think a public apology, slapped wrist and no Friday Night tomorrow would have been enough. What are your thoughts? I ask you guys because I hope that being Mac users you are able to think for yourselves :D

[Drumjim85]

for all us Non-UK folks ... what happened?

[dubhe]

Oops, didn't see this thread...
Anyway, still think it stinks and glad to see the majority of MR folk do too :apple:

[chilipie]

I think after Sachs saying he was happy with Ross' apology this kind of treatment is ridiculous. Bloody Daily Mail reading public :(

[dubhe]

Sometimes I hate being British, we are nothing like we used to be :rolleyes:

Bring back the empire!

[chilipie]

Bring back the empire!

Yup, imperialism > tv hosts being suspended any day :rolleyes:

[nick9191]

for all us Non-UK folks ... what happened?

Russell Brand (http://www.realbuzz.com/images/articles/Russell%20Brand(0).JPG) He was in forgetting Sarah Marshall

Jonathan Ross (http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_01/jrossBBC0209_468x655.jpg)

Andrew Sachs is the guy who played Manuel, the Spanish waiter in Fawlty Towers.

Russell Brand had sex with Andrew Sachs grandaughter, he and Jonathan Ross then phoned Andrew Sachs live on radio 2 and told him, and made other comments about suicide to him.

Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7IHJ66wj9g

[Tom B.]

While I do think that Russell and Jonathan did go too far, the whole incident has been completely blown out of proportion. If you heard the actual radio show and know the entire context of the 'incident', you would realise that it is nowhere near as bad as the media have made it sound. There were only 2 complaints on the day it was broadcast, and a further 3 in the whole week afterwards! 30,000 people complained based only upon the exaggerated media reports of it.

I am a big fan of Russell Brand, and have listened to the podcast of his radio show pretty much every week for over two years. I will greatly miss it, and I can only hope that another company, perhaps Channel 4 can give him another radio show/podcast. It wasn't the number 1 podcast on iTunes for nothing.

[yojitani]

Ya know, I left the UK in 1998 and I would have thought that by now the BBC would have known better than to hire Jonathan Ross in the first place. The guy was a twit and appears he hasn't ceased being one. Russell Brand, meh, he can be funny - not quite my sense of humor, but better than a lot of stuff out there and absolutely better than anything offered over here on mainstream tv.

[Neil321]

Well I'm still sticking to what i said earlier in this thread & that is they are a couple of over paid pr*cks, good riddance Brand as for Ross the tosser he should have had the decency to quit also, the blokes a effing idiot

[BoyBach]

With only the editors / producers who okayed the broadcast left to be fired this affair has almost reached it's conclusion. As I posted earlier, I do believe that Ross should also be fired and has escaped lightly with his suspension, and I speak as someone who enjoys watching him - with the exception of his god awful film review programme!

However, as this video of George Alagiah questioning Mark Thompson shows (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7700816.stm), it has once again highlighted the BBC at it's absolute best. It also adds some credibility to a story I read - I don't remember where - that the BBC News (who recently suffered redundancies as a result of cutbacks) are indulging in some schadenfreude at the expense of Jonathan Ross, who they see as overpaid, in keeping it as a lead story for so long.

[xUKHCx]

Welcome to the world of the Daily Mail.

Last night on the BBC news they showed that the number of complaints on the day, 1, and the day after 2 in total. Then after the Mail checked in the number of complaints soared to the dizzy hieghts of 30,000+ or whatever it stands at now.

The people who complained probably didn't even listen to the show or have listened since.

Yes it was bad, but the level it has been taken to by the media is far far beyond what was necessary and called for.

This is actually a boost to Brand's career as he can now move over to LA and get on with his films.

Ross on the other hand, who actually was the instigator of the abuse, will get a lot more flack. But in all honesty it doesn't really make much difference to him as he is already quite wealthy.

[Queso]

Well I'm still sticking to what i said earlier in this thread & that is they are a couple of over paid pr*cks, good riddance Brand as for Ross the tosser he should have had the decency to quit also, the blokes a effing idiot
Obviously Ross isn't an idiot, considering he's made an absolute fortune out of his shows and been on television now for nearly three decades. Brand isn't going to be hurt by this. His second book is well on its way and Channel 4 are going to see bigger viewing figures for Ponderland thanks to all the publicity.

The only losers in this are the likes of me who like to listen to Radio 2, a station to which the vast majority of those who complained probably never tune their radios to. So a big thanks to them for being so melo-effing-dramatic, and I hope one day I get the opportunity to return the favour and take away something they enjoy.

[Neil321]

Obviously Ross isn't an idiot, considering he's made an absolute fortune out of his shows and been on television now for nearly three decades. Brand isn't going to be hurt by this. His second book is well on its way and Channel 4 are going to see bigger viewing figures for Ponderland thanks to all the publicity.

Oh right so everyone who has money aint a idiot, I'm sorry but the blokes a over paid pr*ck, as for brand he's a over paid junky pr*ck

[djellison]

And as a reformed drug addict, Brand is actually an excellent spokesperson and fund-raiser for various re-hab centres.

Both got excellent viewing figures / listener figures. What the Mail reading public have done, is take away something a lot of people enjoyed listening to.

I for one, find 'Songs of Praise' quite offensive. I don't like 'Strictly...' , and I think that 'Hole in the Wall' is the worst piece of television ever broadcast. I'm paying for all of them with my licence fee.

But I'm also paying for things I like. That's the way it works. Sadly, a bunch of 'Outraged of Berkshire' Express and Mail reading band-wagon jumpers have now ruined two of the things I DID like from the BBC.

Doug

[xUKHCx]

Talk about storm in a tea cup.

I think we shall give this thread a little rest for now, perhaps everyone should go and have a nice cup of tea and calm down a little.