Ross and Brand suspended...

[Tellyn]

Yeah quitting for Brand is just a bit easier I think, especially with channel 4 behind him, BBC aren't paying him £6 million a year as they are Ross.

 

Ross actually gets £16 million a year, £16,000 a day according to Channel 4 News.

[Happenstance]

Shame none of this means Brand wouldnt be on tv at all anymore

[Molly]

Ross actually gets £16 million a year, £16,000 a day according to Channel 4 News.

 

Pretty sure he's on a 3 year contract of £18 million, that makes £6 million a year. *goes to find proof*

[Serebii]

Ross actually gets £16 million a year, £16,000 a day according to Channel 4 News.

If thats the case, then someone needs to tell Channel 4 that there aren't 1,000 days in a year

[nightwolf]

I'm on the fence with this one. In one respect it was a joke, a pretty lame and obvious one.

 

But on the other hand it's disrespectful and there was no need for two well known people to do such a thing. It's like two teenage boys being idiots and as only two teenage boys would they got in trouble for it.

[darksnowman]

I think Molly's right about how Jonny Ross is paid, though I'd need to check too before being absolutely certain. As for this whole caper, yeah... its been blown out of proportion by everyone. If the BBC didn't want it aired then they shouldn't have allowed it to be- it was pre-recorded after all. Whoever let it go out is the one that's gonna get in a hell of a lot of bother.

 

Russell Brand is a complete twat and Jonathan Ross is pretty class. Rossy does do a lot of prattling about on his show, but when he puts his mind to it he's a kick ass interviewer and host. Thus, getting rid of Russell Brand is fine, imo.

[nightwolf]

It seems unfair to judge on their jobs rather on the act itself..0.o

[Molly]

''Nevertheless, although it is the BBC with its neck in the noose, Ross will suffer collaterally when he returns, as return he will. He has two big numbers playing against him: 47, which is his age, 6 million which is what he earns a year from the licence payer. By comparison his co-defendant, Russell Brand, is a baby of 33 and earns a pitiful £200,000 a year from his Radio Two show (on which the jape actually was broadcast)''

 

Taken from The Times. The only newspaper I believe in. Best proof I could find.

[Chris the great]

i like brand. i hated him till i watched his stuff, but hes pretty funny.

 

what i will say is that the two of them were wrong, but i think it was a classic case of two men, making each outher go further then they normaly would.

 

i dont think there was any mallace in it, rather it was just a bit of horse play that went to far, like when i gave a mate a bloody lip during a play fight. it was ultimatly a stupid thing to do, but they dont deserve all this flack for it. theya ppologised to sacks, and i'll play the old if it offends you, dont watch it card.

[weeyellowbloke]

The fact is this the biggest news story in the UK right now and that this has been spoken about in the house of commons just shows how petty and ridiculous this country is.

 

Too right, it's utterly ridiculous this has grabbed headlines. Hey, it's not like the economy is up the shitter and fresh genocide in the offing in the democratic republic of congo. Nope obviously the important issue is a juvenile prank call that was so offensive a whole 2 people complained at the time. Even sachs himself seemed bored of the coverage in his interview today. I hate this country sometimes.

[Dante]

going to be posting this again.

 

 

THURSDAY 16 OCTOBER

 

Brand records his show, with Jonathan Ross as a guest co-presenter, to be broadcast two days later.

 

SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER

 

The show is broadcast between 2100 and 2300 BST. It opens with this warning: "The next programme contains some strong language which some listeners may find offensive."

Brand achieved mainstream fame after presenting E4's Big Brother's Big Mouth

 

 

Early in the show, Ross jokes about an interview planned with Sachs telling Brand that "I had a go on his daughter" would be "the sort of thing you'd say".

 

Brand replies that he knows Sachs' granddaughter - 23-year-old Georgina Baillie - and says she has visited his home and that she is a member of "a baroque dance group called the satanicsluts.com".

 

He continues: "She always said to me, 'don't mention that to my granddad Manuel', and now here we are.

 

"So when we talk to Manuel, don't mention that his granddaughter's a satanic slut."

 

After it emerges that Sachs will not now be in the show due to unforeseen circumstances, listeners hear Brand and Ross leave four messages on the actor's voicemail.

 

Here are extracts from those messages:

 

Message one: As Brand begins to leave a message, Ross blurts out: "He fucked your granddaughter... I'm sorry I apologise. Andrew, I apologise, I got excited, what can I say - it just came out.

 

Chat show host Jonathan Ross also has a Radio 2 show

 

 

Brand replies: "Andrew Sachs, I did not do nothing with Georgina - oh no, I've revealed I know her name. Oh no, it's a disaster."

 

Ross goes on to say: "If he's like most people of a certain age, he's probably got a picture of his grandchildren when they're young right by the phone. So while he's listening to the messages, he's looking at a picture of her about nine on a swing..."

 

Message two: "Andrew, this is Russell Brand. I'm so sorry about the last message, it was part of the radio show - it was a mistake."

 

Ross adds: "It might be true but we didn't want to break it to you in such a harsh way."

 

Brand goes on to say: "No, I'm sorry, I'll do anything. I wore a condom. Put the phone down. Oh, what's going to happen?"

 

Message three: The message opens with Ross saying: "She was bent over the couch..."

 

Brand then improvises a song which includes the lines: "I said some things I didn't of oughta, like I had sex with your granddaughter..."

 

Message four: Brand opens the message with: "Alright Andrew Sachs' answerphone? I'm ever so so sorry for what I said about Andrew Sachs."

 

"Just say sorry," adds Ross,

 

"I'll kill you," says Brand laughing.

 

"Don't say you'll wear him as a hat - just say sorry," continues Ross.

 

"Sorry, right," adds Brand.

 

WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER

 

Sachs' agent Meg Pool is alerted to the contents of the broadcast when a journalist for the Mail of Sunday phones her for a comment.

 

Sachs was taunted about Brand's alleged liaison with Georgina Baillie

 

She and Sachs listen to an online recording of the show which leaves the actor "offended very much indeed".

 

Also on Wednesday, in an interview with the BBC to promote his new football book, Articles of Faith, Brand says: "I'm really enjoying the Radio 2 show.

 

"I did the last one with Jonathan Ross. He said the f-word and got us into a lot of trouble.

 

"But when working with any experienced broadcaster like Jonathan Ross you fly by the seat of your pants - that's often the nature of it."

 

THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER

 

Ms Pool emails and writes to Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas asking for an unreserved apology.

 

SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER

 

Brand apologises on his radio show for offending Sachs saying "you mustn't swear on someone's answer phone" but adding that it was "funny".

Brand 'sorry' for telephone stunt

 

 

SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER

 

The Mail on Sunday reports that "the BBC could face prosecution over obscene phone calls" to Sachs.

 

The story is also picked up by many news websites.

 

The BBC says it is "not aware of receiving a complaint from Mr Sachs".

 

It says that two complaints were made at the time of the broadcast but that they related to Ross' swearing rather then the content of the phone calls.

 

The show has a regular audience of about 400,000 listeners.

 

MONDAY 27 OCTOBER

 

The story rises up the news agenda, and the BBC says it has received a further 1,585 complaints about the show.

 

BBC apologises over Brand prank

 

 

A BBC Radio 2 spokeswoman apologises to Sachs saying: "We have received a letter of complaint from Mr Sachs' agent and would like to sincerely apologise to Mr Sachs for the offence caused.

 

The BBC apologised to Sachs for the "unacceptable and offensive" calls

 

 

"We recognise that some of the content broadcast was unacceptable and offensive. We are reviewing how this came about and are responding to Mr Sachs personally.

 

"We also apologise to listeners for any offence caused."

 

Ross sends a personal apology to Sachs while it is understood Brand is planning to do the same.

 

TUESDAY 28 OCTOBER

 

0900 GMT: The total number of complaints rises to 4,772.

 

A spokeswoman for Brand says he has "issued a private apology to Mr Sachs" but Sachs tells the BBC he has yet to receive such an apology.

 

1030 GMT: Media regulator Ofcom announces an investigation into the show, saying all BBC broadcasters must adhere to its broadcasting code.

 

 

Ofcom to launch BBC Brand inquiry

 

 

The code says broadcasters "must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context".

 

1130 GMT: A spokesman for the corporation's governing body, the BBC Trust, says its editorial standards committee has requested a report from BBC management about the affair.

 

A spokeswoman for Brand says he has "issued a private apology to Mr Sachs" but Sachs tells the BBC he has yet to receive such an apology.

 

1200 GMT: Conservative leader David Cameron calls for the BBC to be "transparent" about how the programme came to be broadcast.

 

"We need to know who made the decision to broadcast it," he says. "How high up the editorial chain did it go?"

 

1430 GMT: Culture secretary Andy Burnham says he is glad the BBC has apologised and that the corporation is investigating the matter.

 

"I, and I think the public, expect these inquiries to be carried out thoroughly and as a matter of urgency."

 

1700 GMT: BBC audio and music director Tim Davie says it is "too early to speculate" on whether Brand or Ross will face action.

 

Meanwhile, Andrew Sachs tells the BBC the show's producer called him on the day of recording to ask if he could use the sequence in question.

 

He continued: "The signal was poor and I couldn't really hear what was being played down the line to me.

 

"But I asked whether they would consider allowing me to come in the following week and then the recorded segment would not have to be included."

 

Ross had "personally delivered a letter of apology and some flowers" since the broadcast, he added, but the actor had not heard anything from Brand.

 

1745 GMT: Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls the incident "clearly inappropriate and unacceptable".

 

 

Brown speaks out over prank calls

 

 

The total amount of complaints passes 10,000.

 

WEDNESDAY 29 OCTOBER

 

Georgina Baillie tells the Sun newspaper that Brand and Ross should "pay for what they've done with their jobs", branding them "beyond contempt".

 

"Someone high up at the BBC must have decided it was funny and suitable for national radio. They've shown an appalling lack of judgement."

 

By 1000 GMT, the number of complaints reaches 18,000.

 

1130 GMT: BBC director general Mark Thompson announces that both Ross and Brand have been suspended while an investigation into the incident is carried out.

 

Mark Thompson's statement in full

 

 

Recording of Ross's chat show, due to take place on Wednesday evening, is duly cancelled.

 

1300 GMT: Russell Brand tells reporters outside his London home: "It would be silly of me to speak without thinking; because that's caused all this trouble in the first place. I am sorry that I upset Mr Sachs."

 

1350 GMT: Andrew Sachs tells reporters he is "not surprised" to hear of the stars' suspension. Asked if he was going to take the matter up with the police, he says: "I'm not going to take it anywhere, I'm not out for revenge."

[Tellyn]

If thats the case, then someone needs to tell Channel 4 that there aren't 1,000 days in a year

 

Sorry, I should have made it clear that I heard the £16 million and the £16,000 a day from two different sources.

[Serebii]

Sorry, I should have made it clear that I heard the £16 million and the £16,000 a day from two different sources.

That makes more sense then lol

[Grazza]

People have overreacted and jumped on the bandwagon with this. Russell Brand's humour is absurd rather than cruel.

 

What they did was off-colour and out of order, but it sounds a lot worse on paper rather than heard in its true context. They should have had a slap on the wrist and been made to apologise, but nothing more. Gordon Brown has even commented, as though Russell Brand is some sort of national villain!

 

As the show was pre-recorded, Russell Brand can not be held responsible for broadcasting the said allegation. Jonathon Ross was the only one who brought it up in an irreversible way (by shouting it down the answerphone). I feel all subsequent phone calls were Russell Brand trying to address the matter and apologise for it in his own, absurd way.

 

Even so, it's hardly Harassment, as the "interview" with Andrew Sachs was partly pre-arranged, even if he wasn't available at that specific time.

[EEVILMURRAY]

Did you read this?

 

Message one: As Brand begins to leave a message, Ross blurts out: "He fucked your granddaughter... I'm sorry I apologise. Andrew, I apologise, I got excited, what can I say - it just came out.

Don't worry, Ice said they introduced themselves so it makes it ok.

 

Amd that transcript looks perfectly legit. No harm in telling your grandad that information in such a manner at all. Bullshit.

 

As for those saying "is this what's headlining" stuff, it's a break from the constant mention of stocks falling. FTSE not doing so well and basically the economy isn't doing as well as it did last year.

[DanielTimothy]

Russell Brand is alright, I thought there would be more support for him here to be honest. I know when he first started out on BBLB everyone thought he was a cock, but his stand up is pretty sweet.

 

Jonathan Ross I can take or leave. Wouldn't mind his job though, especially the movie reviews.

 

Comes across as though they went a little too far, but thats their style of entertaining: saying outrageous things etc. I thought that they would apologize and everything would be fine. Having people resign is a little far though, surely?

[Choze]

The fact is this the biggest news story in the UK right now and that this has been spoken about in the house of commons just shows how petty and ridiculous this country is.

 

Agreed. None of this deserved to blow up in the first place.

 

by The Independant

This broadcast might have pushed the boundaries somewhat further than others. But of those who tuned in – an estimated two million – only two apparently felt strongly enough to complain.

 

Food for thought.

[The Lillster]

Agreed. None of this deserved to blow up in the first place.

 

I was just on the wii News channel and was thinking the exact same thing.

 

Pretty pathetic really.

 

I'd say it's more of the media's fault though, for blowing it out of proportion.

[Ice9]

Don't worry, Ice said they introduced themselves so it makes it ok.

 

Well first of all, I didn't say that made it ok, I said they did because you suggested he didn't know who it was on his answerphone.

 

But yes, it does sound a lot worse on paper. If you want to do your own experiment, take the funniest stand up joke you've heard, write it down, give it to someone who hasn't heard it and see how funny they think it is.

 

Plus, as previously mentioned, there were only 2 complaints from people who actually heard it at the time, the rest are Daily Mail bandwagon goons, jumping on an excuse to get rid of people they personally dislike.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

Hm, haven't heard anything about this, don't know the show or persons - or anything for that matter.

 

But everything taken into account, if people were offended, a formal apology should settle the case, no?

[Ice9]

Hm, haven't heard anything about this, don't know the show or persons - or anything for that matter.

 

But everything taken into account, if people were offended, a formal apology should settle the case, no?

 

No, you have to take into account previous dislike for the 2, and animosity over paying the licence fee.

[S.C.G]

Worse stuff happens in the world... so they got carried away, big deal, I'm not defending their actions but the BBC has a habit of blowing things way out of proportion.

 

It seems like he didn't even hear the message from his own answerphone but from another source when it was played to him and it was only then that he was (understandably) "Deeply offended" or whatever.

 

He probably doesn't know a lot about his grandaughters life what she does etc probably only the jist of it, so being told such stuff over an answerphone message would have been a shock to him I guess considering his age and even if it was intended to be funny he probably wouldn't have found it amusing even if he'd know it was a joke as comedy most likely means something very different to him.

 

Respect to the guy too, he played a well loved character in an excellent British comedy for it's time but I also can't help thinking... what has he done recently? Anyway, apparently his grandaughter pretty much immediately sold her story to the Scum so it clearly wasn't her who was offended but she did make the point that she was upset that they sent the message to her Grandfather who is the innocent partly moreorless but I think she had other reasons for that interview, not to mention the lump sum of cash she would have got for it.

 

Anyway, bottom line, I like Sachs and I don't think he deserved to be treated that way (even though he did say he would do a phone interview for the show and then didn't) his granddaughter? couldn't care less about because what was said about her br Brandt was probably pretty close to the truth anyway, Brandt, he's ok... sometimes funny, often annoying, constantly trying to be controversial, and Ross? funny sometimes, not so much now as he used to be, sometimes watched his show if someone interesting was on there.

 

In conclusion... meh.

[Serebii]

The fact that there's 30,000 complaints and only two or so of them actually listened to it makes this whole thing ridiculous

[LukeLee]

What a load of old shit!

 

I agree it was probably a distressing thing for Mr Sachs to hear, but it is not worthy of this level of attention and if was offended he should have approached the police. Although I am not a fan of either Ross or Brand, when they were recording it they will have been under the supervision of a director / producer / whatever and the editor was responsible for filtering it out before it went on air.

 

There are a million other more newsworthy items we should be more focused on, but i think this is just a distraction from the fact the country is going downhill fast. Same with that news item about the conservative member meeting a dodgy possible sponsor, which he is getting flack for even though he said no to any sponsorship.

[DanielTimothy]

The fact that there's 30,000 complaints and only two or so of them actually listened to it makes this whole thing ridiculous

 

Wasn't there like only 2000 when the radio show was first broadcast. Seems like the media blowing it out of proportion has increased the amount of complaints ten fold. Its a shame everyone loves a good man hunt.