BBC Radio 2 has broadcast an apology in place of what would have been the start of the Russell Brand Show at 9pm, and the Jonathan Ross Show at 10am on Saturday 8th November.
But, after hearing the first apology at 10am, actor Andrew Sachs, who the apology was mostly aimed at, complained the message did not include his wife. A second version of the apology was then aired at 9pm.
The following message was read out after the top-of-hour news bulletins:
"On 18 October, the BBC broadcast an exchange between Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on the Russell Brand show on Radio 2. This concerned the actor Andrew Sachs and his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie. Some of this exchange was left on the voicemail of Mr Sachs. The conversation was grossly offensive and an unacceptable intrusion into the private lives of both Mr and Mrs Sachs and Ms Baillie. It was a serious breach of editorial standards, and should never have been recorded or broadcast. The BBC would like to apologise unreservedly to Mr Sachs, Ms Baillie and to our audiences as licence fee payers."
On 30 October 2008, the BBC Trust announced a range of actions it required of BBC management in relation to a serious editorial breach on the Russell Brand Show on BBC Radio 2 broadcast on 18 October.
[file={e_BASE}request.php?69^0]BBC Radio 2 Apology – take 2[/file]
