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Fawlty star's family ‘torn apart’ by Ross phone scandal
Benedict Moore-Bridger23 Jan 2009
Andrew Sachs has vowed never to watch Jonathan Ross again after tonight's comeback, as it emerged his family has been torn apart by the scandal.
The Fawlty Towers star said he could see the £6 million-a-year presenter making further gaffes and admitted he has never liked the BBC chat show. His wife, Melody, also told how the scandal has destroyed the couple's relationship with their granddaughter Georgina Baillie, part of a dance group called Satanic Sluts. Ms Baillie, 23, was the focus of lewd messages left by Ross and Russell Brand on her grandfather's phone. Mrs Sachs said they had still not spoken to her since the scandal broke three months ago, and she sold her story to the press.
“We haven't spoken since and I have no wish to speak to her,” she added. “We didn't know any of this about the drugs, sex with Russell Brand and we had never heard the name Satanic Sluts before. She used to be a lovely girl and we spent a lot of money on her, educating her.” Her husband said he would tune in to tonight's show out of curiosity, but would never watch again after that.
He also dismissed Ross's latest apology, made during yesterday's filming. Mr Sachs, 78, said: “His show is embarrassing, it is not an interview show, it's the Jonathan Ross show. A lot of people like the show but I don't, and I'm not alone. I will be watching the show out of curiosity to see what is what.
“His quickness of mind is worth retaining but with the good points go the bad ones maybe. It is extraordinary that a man of that experience allowed himself to be shown like that. It is just self-restraint he has not got. I like listening to him, but I don't want to see him after Friday.”
Ross is believed to have recorded another apology to Sachs over the obscene messages. “Another apology is not necessary, he could apologise to the BBC or all of the other people embarrassed by his actions,” added the actor. “There is a long list of people involved.” He was also scathing about Brand, who has used clips of the offending recording in his stand-up comedy.
Mr Sachs said: “To make fun of all of this he seems to be unwell. I don't want to say any more because it will give him extra ammunition. If people want to pay to see this it is weird, people get money for things that are not worth it.”
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross airs tonight on BBC1 at 10.35pm.
Reader views (17)
Dhanraj of Basildon, who are you to judge what's a gross lifestyle?
The issue here is two very well paid 'entertainers' that crossed the line and abused a fellow entertainer in public, end of.
They haven't paid the price for their actions as far as many many BBC licence payers rightly feel.
How dare you attempt to condone such pathetically juvenile behaviour in the name of 'entertainment'!
- Simon Caleb, London, 25/01/2009 13:50
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Agree with you Linday. It's criminal how much that slimeball earns for what? He can't even say 'rrrrrr' properly....
- barbara, sydney, Australia,, 25/01/2009 11:19
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I think this whole episode is an indication of how our society has desended to smut and crudity and anything mediocre goes.
- W Stewart, Luton UK, 24/01/2009 21:08
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Whether Sachs knew about his granddaughter's lifestyle is irrelevant. The fact is he should not have been subjected to bullying by a pair of overgrown schoolboys, who were just trying to appear down with the kids by being 'edgy' and swearing, etc. If I got a call like that at home I'd call the police and seek to take legal action against the perpetrator. But Jonathan Ross gets a slap on the wrist, is allowed to keep his £6m a year and is defended by millions of deluded sycophants on this and other chat sites. What do you actually have to do to get sacked from the BBC these days - assassinate the DG? Jonathan Ross would probably get away with that too, provided he pretended to be sorry.
- Lindsay, london, 23/01/2009 22:15
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Did anyone really remember or care too much about mr sachs?? it seems to me he and his family have done well milking this ridiculous situation for all its worth. Yes jonathan screwed up and took things a little too far - but thats what he does and dont think for one second if the bbc had fired him that channel 4 wouldn't have picked him up on a contract worth double what his bbc one was - thats show business! I'm very happy to have him bag on TV on friday nights and I have no doubt that mr sach's grand daughter is way more famous and wealthy than she was before this happened.... good luck to them all but lets end the chat about this situation here
- nick, london, 23/01/2009 21:53
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Oh for goodness sake, isn't it time to move on from this?
Give Jonathan a second chance. He made a mistake and has handled his suspension in a dignified way.
Yes, he can be a bit crude at times but he can also be very funny and I have missed his radio 2 show on Saturday morning. I for one am glad to see him back!!
- Christina, Bedford, 23/01/2009 19:06
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Ms Baillie must share a large portion of the blame by her gross lifestyle. Very little sympathy for her.
- Dhanraj, Basildon Essex, 23/01/2009 17:49
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The truth is that the BBC could not afford the Breach of Contract suit that no doubt Ross's lawyers held as their trump card.
Ross is damaged goods and in due course, will slip into oblivion as his contract expires.
- Jon, London, 23/01/2009 14:32
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Funny that - at the time, Sachs claimed he wasn't bothered about the call. Presumably then the family rift centres on the cynical and hamfisted way his granddaughter tried to milk the so-called scandal for her own publicity, rather than the original phone call.
- Charlie, Soho, 23/01/2009 14:27
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I don't think Sachs can blame Ross for his grand daughter's behaviour. So she's not the sweet girl he thought she was, and while the way it was exposed might have been distasteful, it seems she's the one to blame for any disappointment her grand father may feel.
- Aidan Reid, london, uk, 23/01/2009 14:03
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I used to watch the Ross show regularly. I've gone off him completely now and I won't be watching it again. There are much better things to do. His moment has passed.
- Bloke, London, 23/01/2009 13:36
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Absolutely right Tim.If i had picked up the phone at my place of work and abused somebody as he did i would have been sacked for gross misconduct, as he should have been.And another thing,what sort of example does it give to young people?some of whom use text messages to bully other children and has lead on more that one occasion to the victim committing suicide.And i wont be renewing my tv licence i cant support bullying im afraid.
- Kev, London-UK, 23/01/2009 13:26
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"His quickness of mind is worth retaining..."
Don't understand that comment at all. He might have a quickness of mind in private but I don't think he comes across that way in his show. He dumbs himself down to the style of an American TV show host if you ask me, slowly repeating everything the guest has just said, etc. I've only ever tuned into his show when someone I've particularly liked has been on it but even so it's pretty wearing. On another point, reading the above article is the first time I've felt sorry for Andrew Sachs and think that a lot of other people - who, like me, felt the whole thing was being blown out of proportion before - would have felt more sympathetic if they'd known he was previously unaware of his grand-daughter's lifestyle.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 23/01/2009 13:21
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Not again!!! Yes Ross and Brand were crude, but Sachs was not fautless. He was supposed to be there for the phone call, if he had this would not have happened. Sachs is a has been and is always referred to as Fawlty Towers star Sachs, that show was circa the late 70's early 80's, what has he done of note that has kepr him in the public eye since? It also shows what sort of family they are to turn their back on their granddaughter too.
It is time to get over this, there are far more serious issues in the world at present.
- E Sullivan, London, 23/01/2009 12:35
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Ross will probably stumble across another way to get in trouble fairly soon.
- John, London, 23/01/2009 11:44
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If viewers refused to renew their licences then the BBC would be forced to find alternative funding
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 23/01/2009 11:25
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Seems according to the BBC, Ross is exempt from the sack, which would not be the case in other businesses.
- Tim, Malaga, Spain., 23/01/2009 10:48
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