Russell Brand has made a name for himself with his outrageous, offensive comedy. (Just look at his hair – he must be crazy!) While we here at Dose.ca forever pledged our love and devotion to the British funnyman the second he started making fun of the Jonas Brothers' purity rings while hosting the 2008 MTV VMAs, it seems the BBC doesn't share our high opinion. Brand and his radio co-host, Jonathan Ross, have been suspended indefinitely from their BBC Radio 2 show following a particularly naughty prank.
On Oct. 18, Ross and Brand called 78-year-old British actor Andrew Sachs (best known for his role as Manuel on Fawlty Towers) and left him four voicemails live on air. During the first message, the pair let it slip that Brand once slept with Sachs' 23-year-old granddaughter, Georgina Baillie.
After the BBC received more than 18,000 complaints from the public, BBC Director-General Mark Thompson decided to suspend them.
Calling the incident a "gross lapse of taste," Thompson said in a statement: "I have decided that it is not appropriate for either Russell Brand or Jonathan Ross to continue broadcasting on the BBC until I have seen the full report of the actions of all concerned...It is clear from the views expressed by the public that this broadcast has caused severe offence and I share that view."
Even the British parliament has jumped into the skit skirmish, with 13 MPs signing a motion calling for the pair to be fired, while Prime Minister Gordon Brown added, "This is clearly inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour, as is now widely recognized."
Baillie told The Sun that Brand called her after the radio skit and offered to plug her burlesque troop as a way of making up for it.
"Russell Brand has embarrassed me by making a private relationship very public in the cruellest way imaginable," Baillie told The Sun, adding "What's funny about humiliating a lovely old man who has never harmed anyone in his life? They should at least pay for what they've done with their jobs."
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