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.

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?

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 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.

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 thing with a stick too.

Welcome to spEak You’re bRanes

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 should gtfo and go do something useful though.

 

[mouchoir]

BBC.

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?

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 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.

 

[0098386]

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

I've already shipped off my complaint 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 ).

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 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.

 

[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