BBC prank calls row goes to trust

[Sarah]

The BBC's director general has met the corporation's governing body to discuss lewd phone calls made on comic Russell Brand's Radio 2 show.

Mark Thompson briefed the BBC Trust on a preliminary inquiry into how the calls made with Jonathan Ross to actor Andrew Sachs came to be broadcast.

Brand has resigned from Radio 2 and Ross has been suspended.

The pair made obscene comments about Sachs' 23-year-old granddaughter Georgina Baillie during phone calls.

The BBC's director of audio and music, Tim Davie, was also due to present a preliminary report on the calls to the trust, which represents the interests of licence fee payers.

'Wrest control'

Mr Thompson briefed trust members on latest developments, followed by a discussion on what action should be taken.

The calls were criticised by Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Tuesday. His spokesman said he welcomed the fact that action was being taken.

"It is for the BBC, the BBC Trust and Ofcom to take action. That has clearly happened," he said.

Some 30,500 complaints had been received by the corporation by Thursday morning.

The BBC's media correspondent, Torin Douglas, said the BBC was perceived as having "lost control" of events following the broadcast and the subsequent row, which saw broadcast watchdog Ofcom launch its own investigation.

Russell Brand: 'It was a really stupid thing to do"

"The BBC is now trying to wrest control back," he added. "People are saying the BBC should have acted a lot quicker."

Fawlty Towers actor, Sachs, 78, was upset after Brand and Ross left a series of lewd messages on his voicemail as part of a pre-recorded show, taped on 16 October.

During the calls, Ross swore and said Brand had slept with Sachs' granddaughter.

Sachs later said he had "respect" for Brand's decision to step down.

Brand, who is believed to have been paid more than 200,000 a year for his Saturday-night show, said in a statement that he took "complete responsibility" for the incident.

'Stupid error'

"As I only do the radio show to make people laugh I've decided that, given the subsequent coverage, I will stop doing the show," he said.

It was a stupid error of judgement on my part and I offer a full apology

The stars' apologies

"I got a bit caught up in the moment and forgot that, at the core of the rude comments and silly songs, were the real feelings of a beloved and brilliant comic actor and a very sweet and big-hearted young woman."

Dermot O'Leary, who also presents a show on Radio 2, said of Brand's resignation: "It's really sad, he was brilliant on the radio.

"He's a lovely lad, a nice colleague. It was a bit silly what he said, but then it was a pre-recorded show so there's a debate to be had over whether the buck stops with him or not," he added.

Speaking to BBC News at the National Television Awards, X Factor judge Louis Walsh said he was "glad" the two presenters had "been put in their place".

"It's about time. Jonathan Ross does and says what he wants and gets away with it," he said.

Meanwhile, Ross said in a statement: "I am deeply sorry, and greatly regret the upset and distress that my juvenile and thoughtless remarks on the Russell Brand show have caused."

"However, it was a stupid error of judgement on my part and I offer a full apology," it added.

BBC One show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, which was due to have been filmed at BBC Television Centre, west London, on Wednesday, has been cancelled. The 1994 film Speed will be shown in its place.

Ross's Saturday morning radio show has also been pulled from Radio 2's schedules.