After initially receiving little attention, a 26 October article in "The Mail on Sunday" led to widespread criticism of Brand, Ross and the editorial decisions of the BBC, with the event becoming known as "Sachsgate" or "Manuelgate" (a reference to Sachs' character in "Fawlty Towers").
(meta data) TITLE: Sachsgate: The obscene prank calls from Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross that 'haunted' Andrew Sachs before his death - Mirror Online (meta data) AUTHOR: https://www.mirror.co.uk/authors/claire-rutter/ (meta data) PUBLISHED DATETIME: 2016-12-02T08:12:00Z # Sachsgate: The obscene prank calls from Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross that 'haunted' Andrew Sachs before his death The Fawlty Towers actor, who died last week after four-year battle with dementia, said the ordeal was "hugely distressing" ByClaire Rutter08:12, 2 DEC 2016Updated08:17, 2 DEC 2016CelebsGet the biggest celebs stories by email We will use your email address only for the purpose of sending you newsletters. Please see ourPrivacy Noticefor details of your data protection rightsThank you for subscribingWe have more newslettersShow meSee our privacy noticeCould not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Andrew Sachs was an acclaimed actor and beloved star of Fawlty Towers, who sadly died after a four-year battle with dementia, and during that time he was still haunted by a highly-publicised prank call from Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. The obscene call sparked what is now known as Sachsgate. Sachs, who was known for planning Spanish waiter Manuel in the hit show, died at a care home last week at the age of 86 after a secret battle with dementia. Back in 2014, he spoke at length about how he was still haunted by the offensive phone call from Ross and Brand, six years after the incident. At the time, Brand and Russell left several vulgar messages on Sachs' answerphone, bragging that comedian Russell had had sex with his granddaughter Georgina Baillie. ##### Read More Celebrity deaths in 2016: The famous faces gone too soon Andrew Sachs said the ordeal would haunt him forever (Image: REX) In an article titled 'Cruelty that will haunt me forever' for the Daily Mail in 2014, he went on to describe the anguish his family suffered throughout the ordeal. "For all my family, the unpleasant incident that hit the headlines in October 2008 was hugely distressing," he wrote. ##### Read More Andrew Sachs' 'biggest regret was missing out on Doctor Who' leading role Sachs was asked by a BBC Radio show producer if he wanted to be interviewed for a pre-recorded part of the show, but he was too busy. "Their lewd banter was deeply hurtful for me, my wife, our daughter and our granddaughter. It not only caused pain but huge stress to the family," he recalled. Georgina Baillie is his granddaughter, who knew Russell Brand (Image: Facebook) Georgina Baillie (centre) and her group The Satanic Sluts performing at Erotica 2008 in Olympia (Image: PA) The actor lodged a complaint to the BBC and held a meeting with Director General Mark Thompson. The BBC was slapped with a £150,000 fine from Ofcom. The pre-recorded radio show was aired and the BBC later sacked Brand and suspended Ross for three months, admitting the remarks were "grossly offensive" and a "serious breach of editorial standards". ##### Read More Andrew Sachs dead at 86: John Cleese leads tributes to beloved Fawlty Towers star Ross had reportedly described the incident, for which he was suspended without pay for 12 weeks, as "fun". "Maybe it was fun for him, but it was excruciating for us," Sachs said. Russell Brand on 'The Jonathan Ross Show' penned an apology letter to Sachs in 2014 (Image: REX) "To be honest, the whole Brand/Ross saga remains a painful experience that we'd very much like to put behind us. But it keeps resurfacing." Brand reportedly penned a letter to Sachs finally apologising for his controversial radio prank in 2014. In a letter written in 2014, obtained by the Daily Mail, the funnyman apologised for the "distress, sadness and turbulence" caused. It read: "I apologise for the distress, sadness and turbulence this has brought into your life. I apologise for the damage I have caused to your family relationships and for robbing you of your peace of mind. This behaviour and the consequences you have suffered as a result of my actions are unacceptable. Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross sparked over 40,000 complaints to the BBC over the incident (Image: Rex) "This is not the man I want to be and I wholeheartedly apologise to you both. "I am sorry too that it has taken so long for me to write to you expressing this sentiment to which the two of you are entitled... please do not hesitate to contact me... My sincere apologies for the hurt I have caused you and your family." 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The Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row
Abstract.

 In an episode of BBC Radio 2's "The Russell Brand Show" broadcast on Saturday 18 October 2008, comedian Russell Brand and presenter Jonathan Ross made prank calls to actor Andrew Sachs that led to controversy in the United Kingdom. Brand and Ross called Sachs to interview him on-air; when he did not answer, they left a series of lewd messages on his answering machine, including comments about Brand's relationship with Sachs' granddaughter, Georgina Baillie.