Brand Ross

Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand are under fire after making offensive phone calls to Andrew Sachs - better known as Manuel from Fawlty Towers.

The BBC has a transcript here if you want to see what the fuss is about.

Initially after broadcast on the 18th October (this was a recorded show rather than a live programme), the BBC received two complaints. However this had reached 1,500 yesterday and then passed over 10,000 today. Presumably, the listeners to the show, who probably expect such antics, were less bothered than the general public, who following the extensive coverage in several tabloids, have driven the number of complaints to the level it is now.

Now Ofcom is investigating the issue as well as the BBC, who in an interview (with themselves) said that it was too early to speculate on whether any action would be taken against Brand or Ross.

And it has, during the day, attracted more and more political attention. Nigel Evans for the Tories started the ball rolling, and was joined by James Purnell and finally even Dave and Gordon joined in - Gordon describing it as "clearly inappopriate and unacceptable behaviour", and Dave insisting on "transparency... in understanding how this came to be broadcast."

I'm not sure this is of sufficient importance for the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition to worry over, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it come up in PM's questions tomorrow.


While I don't find either Brand or Ross at all funny, and agree that leaving abusive messages on someone's voicemail concerning their grandaugher is clearly not acceptable, I can't help but think that this is one of those issues that has been whipped into a frenzy by the media - especially those who are political enemies of the BBC.

The BBC, for their part, do themselves no favours by broadcasting the show in the first place, and in taking too long to deal with the aftermath. The BBC's mission is to inform, to educate and to entertain. It is difficult to see in which category this sorry episode falls.

The BBC is in a privileged position financed by a tax on all households with a television. I think that it is very important for it to use this money to deliver quality programmes which may not be available elsewhere in the commercial sector. Jonathan Ross's alleged £18m salary over three years, is not good value for the tax you pay on your television. If that's his going rate, fine, let Ross get it from a private company, and those who wish to hear him can continue to do so, but not at licence payers' expense.