 Ofcom går nu ind i sagen om Russel Brand og Jonathan Ross, der er godt på vej til at udvikle sig til en skandale for BBC. Op mod 5.000 har klaget til BBC over den perverse telefon-joke de to BBC-værter lod gå ud over Fawlty Towers skuespilleren Andrew Sachs. Der er voldsom vrede mod BBC - både i den britiske offentlighed og blandt politikere.
Russell Brand, Jonathan Ross og Andrew Sachs er blevet forsidestof i Storbritannien. Og det er ikke på 'den gode måde' for de to førstnævnte - og slet ikke for BBC. En afstemning på The Times' hjemmeside viser i dag, at over 90 pct. af netavisens læsere mener, at BBC har mistet grebet og agerer helt skørt.
Selv om BBC kun modtog 2 formelle klager efter udsendelsen den 18. oktober, hvor de to BBC-værter lavede de sjofle og fornærmende telefonopkald til Andrew Sachs, så har BBC - efter dagbladet The Mail skrev om sagen i søndags - modtaget omkring 5.000 klager fra utilfredse lyttere.
Ofcom har i dag iflg. The Times bebudet, at de vil gå ind i sagen og undersøge nærmere, hvad der skete, og om hændelsen er i strid med reglerne om at "forårsage skade og vække anstød."
Flere parlamentsmedlemmer og interessegrupper kræver nu, at BBC fyrer de to værter - Brand og Ross. Et medlem af regeringen siger rent ud, at BBC's opførsel ikke er "i overenstemmelse med, hvordan man driver en radiostation".
De konservatives leder David Cameron siger, at BBC har en stribe spørgsmål, de skal svare på - ikke mindst hvordan det forudproducerede program kunne få grønt lys til at blive udsendt. Og hvorfor det tog så lang tid inden BBC kom med en undskyldning.
Udover BBC's undskyldning i går er det i dag kommet frem, at Jonathan Ross har sendt et brev til Andrew Sachs med en undskyldning. Sammen med en buket blomster. Sachs udtalte efterfølgende, at det var et fint brev og en ærlig undskyldning.
Sagen vil blive behandlet af BBC's bestyrelse den 20. november på baggrund af en indstilling fra bestyrelsens 'editorial standards committee'.
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Foto: Russell Brand fra BBC Radio 2 - og skuespiller Andrew Sachs (kendt som Manuel fra Fawlty Towers)
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Her er en udskrift fra programmet med Russel Brand og Jonathan Ross (kilde: The Guardian):
Russell Brand: Hello Andrew Sachs, this is Russell Brand … you are meant to be on my show now mate … I am here with Jonathan Ross. I could still do the interview to your answerphone.
Jonathan Ross: Let's do it …
Brand: Man … er, Andrew Sachs.
Ross: Don't call him Manuel, that's really bad manners. I apologise for Russell - he's an idiot.
Brand: I said Andrew Sachs! Look Andrew Sachs I have got respect for you and your lineage and your progeny, never let that be questioned.
Ross: Don't hint …
Brand: I weren't hinting! Why did that come across as a hint?
Ross: Because you know what you did…
Brand: That wasn't a hint …
Ross: He fucked your granddaughter!
[der grines i studiet]
Brand: That's his answerphone!
Ross: I'm sorry … I apologise Andrew, I apologise, I can't help it, you were talking about it and it was in my head, I apologise.
Brand: Jonathan!
Ross: I got excited, what can I say, it just came out.
Brand: Right. you wait till I come on your show. Andrew Sachs I did not do nothing with Georgina … oh no, I revealed I know her name! Oh no, it's a disaster! Abort, abort! Put the phone down, put the phone down, code red, code red! I'm sorry Mr Fawlty, I'm sorry. You're a waste of space! Oh no, Jonathan …
Ross: Why did you tell me? I forgot. You mentioned her and then it was in my head and then it came out.
Brand: I know you can't be blamed for this … It's too much for you …
Ross: He is the poor man at home sobbing over his answer machine.
Brand: What's going to happen? I will get a call now from the satanic sluts.
Ross: If he is like most people of a certain age he has probably got a picture of his grandchildren when they were young and innocent right by the phone. So while he is listening to the message he is looking at a picture of her when she was about nine on a swing …
Brand: She was on a swing when I met her … let's ring back Andrew Sachs.
[De to værter ringer op for anden gang]
Ross: Hello! Manuel here!
Sachs: [telefonsvarerbesked] Sorry I can't answer at the moment …
Brand: [afbryder] … I am too busy thinking about killing myself … Andrew, this is Russell Brand. I am so sorry about the last message - it was part of the radio show, it was a mistake … The truth is I am phoning you to ask if I can marry - that's right, marry - Georgina the granddaughter.
Ross: And I would like to be a page boy.
Brand: He wants to be a page boy, we are going to have a Fawlty Towers-themed wedding.
Ross: Now you've spoilt it!
Brand: No! I made it better. I'm sorry, I'll do anything. I wore a condom. Put the phone down! Oh what's going to happen. Look I've got a mental illness. Do you think that made it better?
Ross: You will never become king rat in the Variety Club now.
Brand: Oh no, that's over for me now … Jonathan I think we've made the situation worse ... We've got to stop upsetting Manuel. This time Jonathan I'm convinced we can make it better.
Ross: Let's just sing to him.
Brand: I'll make up something as I go along…
[Den 3. besked på telefonsvareren]
Brand: [syngende]: I'd like to apologise for the terrible attacks, Andrew Sachs, I would like to show contrition to the max, Andrew Sachs. I would like to create world peace, between the yellow, white and blacks, Andrew Sachs, Andrew Sachs. I said something I didn't have oughta, like I had sex with your granddaughter. But it was consensual and she wasn't menstrual, it was consensual lovely sex. It was full of respect I sent her a text, I've asked her to marry me, Andrew Sachs …
Ross: This has made it worse, you have trivialised the whole incident.
Brand: Hang up, hang up! It's trivialised it!
Ross: You know there is one way we could possibly make it better …
Brand: We can keep ringing, and even after the show's finished, kick his front door in and scream apologies into his bottom.
Ross: Hello, Manuel is not in right now. Please leave a message after the tone…
[Den 4. besked på telefonsvareren]
Brand: I am sorry, I am so sorry … that I had a difficult life, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry Andrew. Let's just take some time together, we can meet up.
Ross: You're making it worse, just say sorry.
Brand: Jonathan Ross is sorry as well, it was his idea … Sorry about everything that's ever happened …
[Senere]
Brand: No one could have been offended by anything that went on in that show.
Ross: Who could possibly be offended by anything there? If they were they are crazy people.
Brand: If Andrew Sachs listens to his answerphone message when he gets it …
Ross: The saving grace is you didn't have anything to do with his granddaughter did you?
Brand: Oh actually I did, I slept with her, but it was ultimately undermined, not undermined, underlined with love. |
