BBC Told To Sack Russell Brand And Jonathan Ross Over Prank

On the radio...

by Jason Gregory
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Photo by: WENN

The BBC has been told to dismiss Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross by the woman at the centre of their prank radio calls.

Georgina Baillie said the pair should “pay for what they've done with their jobs” after they called her grandfather to boast that Brand had slept with her.

On the pre-recorded programme, broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on October 18th, Brand also joked that the Fawlty Towers actor might kill himself as a result of his claim.

The BBC has since apologised for the “unacceptable” nature of the four messages left on Sachs' answer phone. Regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation following 10,000 complaints.

'Betrayed'

In an interview with the Sun newspaper, Baillie said she felt “betrayed” by the pair's actions - and said her grandfather was "really upset, and says he wants the whole situation to end".

She added: "They are beyond contempt. They are warped for what they have put me and my grandfather through.

"It was bad enough that they recorded these things on my grandfather's answer machine but astonishing the BBC saw fit to broadcast it when they could have stopped it.

"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."

Yesterday evening Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Brand and Ross, two of the BBC's biggest stars, had acted with "inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour".

Brand issued an on air apology about the incident on his show last Saturday, while Ross, the BBC's highest paid broadcaster, said he had spoken privately to the Sachs family.

Brand caused controversy last month as host of the MTV Video Music awards in America when he called President George W Bush a “retard”.

MTV VMAs 2008

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No one had complained until this was printed in a newspaper. I think it's a joke. People are just using it as an opportunity to criticise Brand and Ross because they don't like how much they are paid!
~ by Bob 10/29/2008
View 1 Reply
If it was pre-recorded then who made the final decision to broadcast it? I doubt it was Ross or Brand. Glad to see the world situation is now so good that Brown has nothing better to do.
~ by BritSwedeGuy 10/29/2008
I hope she isn't making lots of cash off of this by accepting TV appearence fees and being paid for expose inter......oh! Sympathy for Sachs yes, hanging comment too far, yes, sympthy for her, nil. Having read all her comments she was naive in the extreme at her involvement with Brand and is now cashing in with fauz 'my granddads upset nonsense'. He wants it to end...shes talking to the papers...thats a conflict of message worthy of Palin/McCain.
~ by JonSebire 10/29/2008

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