Oct 28 2008
Brand and Ross - Andrew Sachs Outrage - Ofcom Steps In. Latest! - plus Shocking Transcript of Phone Messages.
LATEST! - Transcript on the infamous phone messages here!
No Laughing Matter.
The Russell Brand Jonathon Ross saga has escalated and it’s not going to go away. Now Ofcom, the authority for the UK communications industries have been called in to investigate the matter. This morning it is all over the front pages and the pressure is on the BBC to sack the pair of them. Andrew Sachs granddaughter is also considering legal and possibly police action against Russell Brand and Jonathon Ross…The Prime Minister has told the BBC to deal with matter quickly. But they appear to be dragging their heels. With talk of investigation which could take weeks.
Calls have been flooding in to complain about the pair. There is also strong feeling that this matter will reach Prime Minister’s question time this lunchtime. It all started on Russell Brands pre-recorded Radio 2 Show on October 18th. It was 2 in the morning and Brand and Ross gave Andrew Sachs a call for a short telephone interview. What they got was a telephone answering machine.
Mr Ross was on the phone and decided to play a prank on Mr Sachs, 78. He blurted down the phone that Russell had slept with Mr Sach’s granddaughter, Georgina. Russell was heard to say “You can’t do that it’s on his answerphone”. But things went from bad to worse as the two comics tried to outdo each other in the comedy stake banter. In all there were four phone calls made and four rambling, lewd and inappropriate messages left.
“Brand and Ross, two of the corporation’s highest-paid stars, described in graphic detail an alleged encounter between Brand, 33, and Mr Sachs granddaughter Georgina Baillie, 23. They then sang bawdy songs about the event and joked that Sachs may kill himself”.
This was a pre-recorded show and Andrew Sachs (Manuel) off Fawlty Towers, contacted the BBC to ask that they remove the explicit nuisance phone calls and all messages to him on final edit, so that when this show was aired there would be no trace of the harassment he had received. Sachs was furious and demanded an apology from the annoying duo. Mr Ross stepped in with a formal apology whilst cavalier, lethario comedian Russell Brand sang a slightly sarcastic rendering of apology on his Radio show. You got the impression that he wasn’t taking things too seriously. Since then he has now apologised formally and sent a bunch of red roses to Andrew Sachs.
The trouble is that when you stick two slightly off the wall comics in the same room, at two in the morning, things can appear slightly surreal and alienated. I think the phone calls went from bad to worse because of the situation they were in. I am not excusing the pair for their inappropriate antics, I just think they reverted to playground behaviour out of boredom, both trying to outdo each other for supreme comedy crown. It was a bit like a double act as the two huge egos tried to out-do each other.
Andrew Sachs, 78 played the brilliant character Manuel in the highly popular TV show, Fawlty Towers, written by, and starring John Cleese. Mr Sachs was outraged to find the four messages on his answering machine and his granddaughter was also highly offended and shocked. This show should not have aired with the phone calls included and Russell Brand and Jonathon Ross should not have left the messages in the first place.
What is acceptable to Brand and Ross in the way of humour may not be acceptable to the next person. Andrew Sachs is of a different generation, and the pair’s behaviour went above and beyond what is deemed as acceptable behaviour to him, and to a lot of other people as well. The outspoken and controversial comics in their own right let things get a bit out of hand.
After the aired show there were two complaints only. But since this has been brought into the public eye the matter has now received a massive 10, 000 complaints and this incident now demands a public enquiry. Watchdog television regulator, Ofcom has stepped in and is now making a full investigation of the matter. Not only did Mr Brand’s and Mr Ross’s antics breech what is acceptable behaviour, but it also broke the law on a few counts.
Basically this was a prank which went horribly wrong. Stuck in a room on their own in the middle of the night, with no producers to oversee their behaviour, the two giggling men reverted to childish behaviour and in their minds; they were just amusing themselves and having a laugh. The situation quickly escalated from practical joke to harassment and putting these two sardonic comics in the same room was basically asking for trouble. Apart from this isolated incident there were several moments during the show when use of profanity was rife and this also slipped through to inclusion in the aired show on October the 18th.
The British public are baying for blood over this matter, and at the moment I feel that the actual event in question is gaining massive proportions as this incident gathers a snowball effect. Hari Krishna won’t wash here and Brand has got some serious apologising to do, but somehow it all seems a little late in the day for that. Something has to give and someone will be made an example of. Now whether it will be the producer or editor, for letting the phone call and messages stand, along with the use of various swear words, only time will tell.
Worst case scenario would be that Russell Brand and Jonathon Ross are banned from the BBC. If this were to happen it would be very damaging to their respective careers. I’ve seen this happen before with comedian Freddie Starr. The Liverpool-born comedian was the highest paid entertainer in the UK during his peak. He was an extremely unpredictable adlib, comedic performer and too many times he breeched what was acceptable behaviour. His career never recovered after his ban and we basically lost a really unique talent which was killed off by his own self destruction.
The Prime Minister has now been brought into the matter and it has now become political; the outcome looks very grim for someone involved. We should come to know the outcome to all this in due course. Mr Ross is on a reportedly huge £18 million three year deal and Russell Brand has fought his way out of heroin addiction to be where he is today, after gaining huge success on Big Mouth, a Big Brother spin off show which he made very much his own; two very individual and unique British talents. Someone will have to take the consequences for this matter and I wouldn’t like to be in their shoes at this moment in time. A large majority of TV license holders are demanding it and therefore, it must be seen to be done.
With fame comes big responsibility and when you are in the public eye this is something that you to have to bear very much in mind. The public are fickle and what is hot talent today can soon be surpassed by fresh newcomers knocking on opportunities door tomorrow.-
‘An Ofcom investigation has been ordered into a possible breach of the broadcasting code covering individual privacy and material that may cause harm and offence. Brand and Ross could also face a criminal prosecution for making abusive phone calls’.
Christianna Garrett-Martin
It all sounds to have been blown completely out of proportion to me! Fancy Jonathan Ross trying to outdo Russell Brand as well; Russell Brand is far more intelligent, charismatic, and witty than he! Foolish move. I hope they don’t get banned from the BBC for this; it’d be a great shame to see that happen, as big a matter as it has become now though; I fear that the worst punishment possible may well be coming for these two. I really enjoyed your article, and fingers crossed that they don’t lose their jobs over this; what they did was wrong and I definitely feel they both deserve to be punished, I don’t believe banning them would not be in the best interest of the BBC though and I truly hope that this is not the chosen action to be taken. It’s people like Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross that keep the BBC fresh and relevant; without them the BBC would be a far quieter and much less interesting place.