Ross and Brand.

[Mid A 15]

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

Got to love the way that not many people originally complained but then the Newspaper (use the word NEWS extremely loosly) the Daily Mail (AKA Doom and Gloom, yuk) campaigned against it, thats when the complaints went up.

Come on she did sleep with him. After this and now people complaining about Jeremy Clarkson's comments when driving a lorry "change gear, change gear, check mirrors, kill a prostitue" (100 and somthing compaints on the day, after the media got hold of it, now gone upto 500) No one will be able to say anything on TV, back to the days of silent movies i think!!

You know that Ross/Brand/Clarkson are all outspoken people that say what they think, if you don't like it, don't listen to it.

What makes me laugh is that the grandaughter is now saying they should be reinstated and that suspending Ross was over the top, make your mind up love, your the one that made the fuss (oh yeah sorry that was to make money wasn't it)

Right thats my opinion now said, i'm off to compain about Phil and Fern for saying "Good Morning" I'm offended as it hasn't been!!

In my view the distinction between Ross/Brand and Clarkson is that Ross and Brand targeted a specific person/family and this was broadcast despite refusal of permission to broadcast by that family (not the fault of Ross and Brand as I stated above).

Clarkson on the other hand made a general stereotypical observation which according to Talksport (admittedly not the most reliable source) has amused rather than offended the vast majority of lorry drivers.

[bap]

"Infantile and crude" - bung in cynical and it just about sums up my sense of humour which was forged during my years at CH; seems to me I may only develop a sense of moral outrage and indignation later in life- tho' I hope not. Frankly I was bored by the coverage after a couple of days.

[J.R.]

The funniest one word on "Top Gear", was when JC was interviewing Sir Michael Parkinson, (a proper broadcater IMHO).

Jeremy asked Sir Michael if he thought the chat-show was dead as we know it.

Sir M:- "Well - Jonathon Ross does have his own style of chat-show."

JC:- (Sniggering....) "Did !!"

PRICELESS !

[marty]

I think Tumbridge Wells must have a larger population than London these days, there are so many 'outraged' people.

I think the Brand/Ross situation is completely different from Clarkson. Everyone knows what he's like - if you don't like him don't watch Top Gear - simple. Even the bloke from Eddie Stobart said it was funny.

[CHAZ]

and JC was ultimately referring to the fact that the Yorkshire Ripper had at one time been a lorry driver, so we can't really say he was that offensive...

[cstegerlewis]

Didn't watch it, but the Grand-daughter had her own 1 hour special on Fiver last night (of course repeated immediately on Fiver +1) - don't think here profile has been damaged much by all of this.

Now who originally contacted the Daily Mail............(or am I just a cynical git )

[02juddra]

personally i feel that while the jokes were both ditasteful and not funny in the least, i don't agree with JR in his opening post in the thread, as while i dont have a granddaughter as i am just turning 18, Mr Sach's granddaughter is not the the perfect child nor is she a innocent little girl, she performs in a lesbian dance troop called the satanic sults and has stared in pornography, this is discovered while googleing the young lady. Furthermore while Mr Sachs has kept a dignified silence throughout the whole overblown thing, Mrs Baillee has sold her story and has had a significant boost in fame. Lastly as a fan of Russel Brand, while the joke was a bad joke, if you listen to Russel Brand, he is known for being a Comedin who likes to be very edge and he soemtimes goes over the edge, he is still a very fun man. Futhermore when the show went out only 2 people complanied, it was he tabloids such as the mail, the sun etc blowing the whole thing out of proportion and causing people who had not listen to the show and would never listen to the show regruadless of this event to complain.
Thus IMO im supporting Brand and Ross as while the should have said sorry straight away they are two talented men who dont warrent these attacks

[J.R.]

Whilst I defend your right to state your views, 02juddra, allow me put the show on the other foot.

Lets just assume I was a high profile broadcaster on national radio.

How about me ringing Ross' ansaphone, whilst on air and informing him I'd had sex with his daughter, or better still with his very well endowed wife.

I'm absolutely sure he wouldn't see the 'funny' side, even with his warped sense of humour.

I find Brand loud, brash and not in the slightest bit funny. In early television transmissions, he seemed to have a permanent fascination with his 'b@ll-bag'.

No, I'm not a prude. In fact I have a very broad mind as many on here will testify. In fact I have received some VERY funny texts on the Brand/Ross situation which I find hilarious. However - If I posted them on here, I would be struck off as a moderator and probably banned from the site, AND possibly sued by the afore-mentioned alleged comedians !

[02juddra]

JR if you were a famous broadcaster who did the same thing i would support you just as much, as it is about free speech and how comedy should not be censored, which is what certain "newspaper" eg the mail were putting forward as an idea. It was just a joke, as Bill Hicks once said "why are people so afraid of jokes". Lasty with Russel Brand while yes some of his humour can be crude, he is a intelligent and subvertive comic, who dispite beng crude make good points about the state of britain and the world

[Angela Woodford]

It was just a joke, as Bill Hicks once said "why are people so afraid of jokes".

Because jokes can be cruel and hurtful.

[02juddra]

reguardless of whether a jokes is cruel or hurtful it is still a joke, and meant on jest, i have been on the recieving end of some cruel jokes, but in the end its a joke, why got upset over it

[Ajarn Philip]

When is a joke not a joke?

When the feeling and intention behind it is petty, spiteful, demeaning and vicious.

This one was hardly likely to make Sachs split his sides laughing.

Having been away from the UK for 5 years, I'm delighted to say that I had never heard of Brand until this row kicked off.

When you deliberately set out to hurt someone, 'it was only a joke' doesn't cut the mustard.

[marty]

Humour is like music in that it's subjective. What one person finds funny might not tickle someone else. Millions of people have bought Robbie Williams' CDs but I can't stand him. Are we all wrong?