Ross & Brand "Scandal"

**Billsthoughts** · 30/10/2008, 9:00 AM

What does anyone think of this?
Was first item on the news last nite.
I read the transcript and it seems fairly tame. Seems people are complaining out of a nostalgic fondness for manuel the waiter more than anything else.
Fintan O Tooles take on it all
Didnt see Tommy Tiernan on the Late Late but thought his show last year was Bernard Manning without the jokes...

**passinginterest** · 30/10/2008, 9:06 AM

Had a listen to it last night on Youtube and it's definitely in very poor taste. I don't think anyone would appreciate their grandad receiving at least three voice mail messages making a joke of the fact that one of the callers may have had sex with his grandaughter.

I'd at least expect Johnathon Ross to have had a little more cop than to walk himself into such a situation. In fairness it was quite funny taken out of context, but, thinking about a 70 something year old man listening back to the messages they lose any real humour.

The grandaughter seems to be making the most of it anyway, selling her story to the Sun and generally coming across as a classy piece of work.

**OneRedArmy** · 30/10/2008, 9:13 AM

I have no sympathy for anyone who hires Max Clifford to represent them.

Poor taste, yes, but worthy of being one of the top items on the news?! Definitely not.

Storm in a teacup.

PS Ross is a smug tool. Always has been.

**passinginterest** · 30/10/2008, 9:23 AM

That Fintan O'Toole article makes some very interesting points. Tommy Tiernan was funny when he first emerged on the scene but his recent shows have been awful, he's really lost the ability to write a funny gag.

ORA I'd 100% agree that it shouldn't be number one headline news, however, we live in a tabloid, personality driven society and these stories cater to that audience.

**Bluebeard** · 30/10/2008, 9:47 AM

Very good article there from O'Toole - haven't seen the Tiernan thing, but I heard the Ross & Brand thing, and found it deplorable. Brand at least has behaved with some humilty and I hope he has learned from it. Ross, well, he behaved as one would expect the big and more aware kid who goads on the innocent to mischief.

It certainly should not be front page headline news, particularly at the moment, but then it is more news worthy, as an introduction to the question of what is the state of our society, what are are mores, etc., than someone on Strictly Come Dancing had an affair with a stripper, or whatever normally graces the front covers of tabs.

**Dodge** · 30/10/2008, 9:49 AM

The fact that British politicians were tabling parliamentary motions on this astonished me. And I'm not easily astonished.

I think people are overstating the "70 year old" grandad angle. He's a man of the world, he's not a stereotypical "worked hard all my life" type grandad. I'm not saying he deserved the calls but idiot DJ's all over the world make prank calls every single day. None of them are funny either

I think I read that only two people actually made complaints about the broadcast on the day. The rest came on foot of the Daily Mail (or possibly Mail on Sunday - not sure...) article/headline

**anto1208** · 30/10/2008, 9:51 AM

When I first heard about it I didn’t think much but after listening to the full 11 minutes over 3or4 phone calls I have to say its pretty poor form. I think there is a big difference between slagging someone off that deserves it ( Gary Glitter Paris Hilton etc ) and ringing up and 78 year old man (that has done nothing to court this other than offer to do Brand a favour) and humiliating him on national radio by telling him and every one that was listening that Brand F***ed his grand daughter which is the phrase that was used they didn’t say “slept with” or eluded to it, they said F***ed and then had a great big laugh about it.

Of course the tabloids jumped all over it and made it even worse letting even more people know about it and humiliating him even further.

Brand has now quit the BBC like a spoilt little brat he will easily get a job with channel 4 or most likely head to Holly wood. Ross I think will take the suspension and leave it at that i feel, at least he gave a proper apology and it should be left at that.

As for Tommy I saw the late late show and was actually sweating with embarrassment for the 2 of them Tommy did the normal ill do most of my DVD as an interview and Jerry Ryan just didn’t know what to do it was pain full TV did nt find anything offensive about what he said and the difference between what Tommy does and what Brand/Ross did is that Tommy’s jokes are general jokes about immigrants travellers disabled people he doesn’t single out one innocent person to make a mockery of but I really wish he would just go on the late late and have a chat not start doing his bots from the DVD. Since his 2nd DVD he has just gone down hill fast seems to just scream and make noises rather than tell jokes or stories now.

**Macy** · 30/10/2008, 9:53 AM

I think it was done in poor taste. However, the tories are clearly using it to shift focus away from themselves, and onto the BBC, who they hate. It's easy when it's someone like Ross, with the contract that he has. And everyone likes seeing an arrogant tosser getting taken down (whether we like to admit or not).

As for the UK coverage, that's fair enough. What I was shocked to see was that it was high on the RTE news.

**Pauro 76** · 30/10/2008, 10:01 AM

It's a bit mad seeing a member of the 'Satanic Sluts Dance Troupe' taking the moral high ground. Ross used to be hilarious until he got that £18 million contract, then he became a Hollywood 'luvvie', sucking up to the likes of Ricky Gervais etc....

**jebus** · 30/10/2008, 10:22 AM

It was poor form from Ross and Brand, but I love the way the Beeb shifted blame straight on to Brand and Ross and didn't take their share for putting the segment out in the first place. I get the Russell Brand podcast (genuinely think it's one of the better ones on the internet)and there's a message telling you it's prerecorded before each one. So the BBC knew the content (or at least should have known) and decided to air it anyway.

If I were Brand I'd have quit over the suspension too to be honest, the BBC just seem to be happy the lynch mob that are the Daily Mail readers didn't turn their sights on them. Nothing will happen over Ross, he's on too big a contract and this will all blow over in two weeks

**passinginterest** · 30/10/2008, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by jebus

So the BBC knew the content (or at least should have known) and decided to air it anyway.

That's a fact that has somehow been overlooked. It was pre-recorded and given the go-ahead by senior officials in the BBC, none of whom have resigned from what I've heard. Not only that but they were also informed of the original complaints, before it became national news, and again took no action. In a way it smacks of giving in to a mob mentality. If they felt it was OK why not come out and defend their decision rather than allow Brand and Ross take all the flack? It's hard to believe nobody though it might cause a bit of controversy when they listened to it. It's only going to help the career of Brand and Ms Baillie, the only one who might suffer a little is Ross.

**gustavo** · 30/10/2008, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by anto1208

Brand has now quit the BBC like a spoilt little brat he will easily get a job with channel 4 or most likely head to Holly wood. Ross I think will take the suspension and leave it at that i feel, at least he gave a proper apology and it should be left at that.

Brand also gave a full apology

**jinxy lilywhite** · 30/10/2008, 1:11 PM

Pretty tasteless in my opinion.
The crux of the wholething was "having sex with your granddaughter" who when I heard I immediately thought of a 7-14 year old.
Saw her on TV last night and phew what a honey

**noby** · 30/10/2008, 1:57 PM

On TV lastnight. In the Sun today. Selling her soul to Clifford, going into details of her 'encounter' with Brand. Another C-list wannabe.
Much-a-do about not very much really, but shows how the tabloids can make a campaign out of nothing. At least Sachs has stayed dignified throughout.
Hopefully Friday night with Jonathan Ross will be replaced with the complete series of Fawlty Towers tomorrow night.

**bennocelt** · 30/10/2008, 2:24 PM

It wasnt even funny
Said on ITV news today that Ross gets 16,000 Sterling a day - could that be correct?
(and i thought RTe were bad!!!)

**noby** · 30/10/2008, 2:25 PM

Sounds about right. £18M three year contract.

**NeilMcD** · 30/10/2008, 4:25 PM

"Mocking Travellers and immigrants is unfunny because it is merely dressing up as comedy the tired and stupid truisms that you can hear from a taxi driver any time your luck is out."

A bit of a generalisation of taxi drivers there Fintan. Those in glass houses.

**NeilMcD** · 30/10/2008, 4:28 PM

Originally Posted by anto1208

When I first heard about it I didn’t think much but after listening to the full 11 minutes over 3or4 phone calls I have to say its pretty poor form. I think there is a big difference between slagging someone off that deserves it ( Gary Glitter Paris Hilton etc ) and ringing up and 78 year old man (that has done nothing to court this other than offer to do Brand a favour) and humiliating him on national radio by telling him and every one that was listening that Brand F***ed his grand daughter which is the phrase that was used they didn’t say “slept with” or eluded to it, they said F***ed and then had a great big laugh about it.

Of course the tabloids jumped all over it and made it even worse letting even more people know about it and humiliating him even further.

Brand has now quit the BBC like a spoilt little brat he will easily get a job with channel 4 or most likely head to Holly wood. Ross I think will take the suspension and leave it at that i feel, at least he gave a proper apology and it should be left at that.

As for Tommy I saw the late late show and was actually sweating with embarrassment for the 2 of them Tommy did the normal ill do most of my DVD as an interview and Jerry Ryan just didn’t know what to do it was pain full TV did nt find anything offensive about what he said and the difference between what Tommy does and what Brand/Ross did is that Tommy’s jokes are general jokes about immigrants travellers disabled people he doesn’t single out one innocent person to make a mockery of but I really wish he would just go on the late late and have a chat not start doing his bots from the DVD. Since his 2nd DVD he has just gone down hill fast seems to just scream and make noises rather than tell jokes or stories now.

Is he not there to sell his product and he feels the best way to sell his product is to perform his set. I hate when audience members get annoyed with a comedian for tealling a joke that they have seen them perform before on TV. Do they think that all comedians just make stuff up as they go along. The trick is to have it rehearsed to the nth degree and to make it seem like its impromtu.

**pete** · 30/10/2008, 4:59 PM

Yawn. I read about half the transcript before I got bored.

Blown out of all proportion. 2 complaints the day after this aired but now something like 28,000. Hilarious that the Daily Mail "broke this" when I would guess not a single Daily Mail reader has ever listened to the Russell Brand radio show. As mentioned above it was in poor taste but he was not a random 78 year old. Is the continued mentioned of him being 78 years old not ageist? Also funny the name of his group & the fact she did actually have sex with Brand. Fairly obvious this is being used as an excuse to have a go at the BBC.

Not a chance Ross will be sacked as ITV or Ch4 would sign him tomorrow. I suspect the Producers will be sacked as the other media need a head on a stake.