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Sachs is cross as Ross is up for Bafta
Amar Singh24 Mar 2009
ANDREW SACHS today spoke of his surprise as Jonathan Ross was nominated for a Bafta.
Ross could be named Britain's top entertainer at the British Academy's television awards despite being suspended by the BBC for three months last autumn after making lewd calls to Sachs.
The Fawlty Towers star, 78, who received a series of obscene messages on his answering machine from Ross and Russell Brand, asked why Ross was being put up for critical recognition so soon after the scandal.
He said: "Blimey, that is a bit of a surprise. One would question the reasons when it comes so quickly after what happened. I wonder how much it has to do with trying to comfort him? I don't know."
Sachs added that he had "moved on from the row" but his wife Melody said Bafta's decision had left her "flabbergasted".
She added: "I am amazed Ross should get rewarded with a mouth like his. Nobody is saying he hasn't got talent, but what he did was so disgusting."
Georgina Baillie, Mr Sachs's granddaughter, who was mentioned in the call, said: "I think it's fine if Jonathan wins a Bafta but I hope that instead of putting it on his mantelpiece he shoves it up Brand's arse."
Ross, 48, received his nomination in the entertainment performance category for Friday Night With Jonathan Ross. It is the fourth time he has been nominated. He told fans of his online Twitter blog that he had celebrated while playing tennis with his comedian friend Jimmy Carr.
He posted: "Just thrashed Jimmy Carr at tennis - perfect day!"
Conservative frontbencher Henry Bellingham condemned the nomination. "It is deeply inappropriate," he said. "His show is in such poor taste that he is the last person in the entertainment world who should be nominated."
Labour MP Des Turner added: "Giving him a Bafta would seriously devalue these awards."
Ross will compete against Ant and Dec, Harry Hill and Stephen Fry at the awards at the Royal Festival Hall on 26 April.
Kenneth Branagh received his sixth nomination in today's shortlist. The 48-year-old actor is up for his first Bafta as producer - for the BBC Swedish detective mini series Wallander. He faces a trio of previous winners in Spooks, Shameless and Doctor Who in the best drama series category.
BBC4's drama Hancock And John, based on the life of comic genius Tony Hancock, is up for three awards with Ken Stott recognised in the best actor category.
First-time nominee Andrea Riseborough is favourite in the actress category for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Long Walk To Finchley.
In the international category, Baltimore police drama The Wire, starring London actors Dominic West and Idris Elba, is up against Dexter, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Mad Men.
BEST ACTOR
Stephen Dillane, The Shooting Of Thomas Hurndall; Jason Isaacs, The Curse Of Steptoe; Ken Stott, Hancock And Joan; Ben Whishaw, Criminal Justice
BEST ACTRESS
June Brown, EastEnders; Anna Maxwell Martin, Poppy Shakespeare; Maxine Peake, Hancock And Joan; Andrea Riseborough, Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk To Finchley
ENTERTAINMENT PERFORMANCE
Stephen Fry, QI; Harry Hill, Harry Hill's TV Burp; Ant & Dec, I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!; Jonathan Ross, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
COMEDY PERFORMANCE
Rob Brydon, Gavin & Stacey; Sharon Horgan, Pulling; David Mitchell, Peep Show; Claire Skinner, Outnumbered
DRAMA SERIES
Doctor Who; Shameless; Spooks; Wallander
CONTINUING DRAMA
The Bill; Casualty; EastEnders; Emmerdale
INTERNATIONAL
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; Dexter; Mad Men; The Wire
COMEDY PROGRAMME
Harry And Paul; The Peter Serafinowicz Show; Star Stories
ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
Fri/Sun Night Project; Harry Hill's TV Burp; QI; X Factor; That Mitchell And Webb Look
Reader views (28)
i say leave him alone heard the saying those who live in glass houses should not throw stones .
- Betty, london, 27/03/2009 14:22
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Clearly one of the most talented performers on TV - he made a mistake (and to broadcast it wasn't his) and has been vilified for it beyond all proportion. Fantastic that his nomination is irritating the pompous and self righteous.
- Kevin, London, UK, 27/03/2009 13:54
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Surely for the sake of humanity it would have been better to leave him out of a nomination.
Personally, I would have sacked him, Had it been me, I would have been sacked, contract or not.
He should have walked fullstop.
- C Cusano, Bedford, 27/03/2009 09:28
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The man is a disgrace. Pompous, unfunny and untalanted.
- Kerry, Purley, 26/03/2009 16:27
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Couldnt think of a worse candidate for a Bafta award.....
His smutty jokes are no longer amusing......come on BBC are you that desperate? There are many other far worthier people.
- Yvette, lancashire, 26/03/2009 15:30
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I can't stand the man and his gibbering. Why the nomination? Is it to boost his 'morale' and justifying his huge salary paid by us? He is merely a 50-year-old (thereabout) foul mouthed ordinary presenter, making a living out of crude remarks and tasteless jokes. Surely you don't call that TALENT!
- K Lee, Cheshunt, UK, 26/03/2009 10:59
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One positive consequence of the financial bubble bursting is that viewers look at everything differently and realise that not only are banks not what they seem, but so called funny men and women who we pay rediculous money for have mostly got on our screens by a lot of luck and very little talent. As well as being disgusting, the sachs affair exposed Ross as just not talented.
- Mike, london, 26/03/2009 10:34
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He's a bright talented guy who's totally lost the plot - he probably thinks his 3-year-old approach to toilet humour and sex "jokes" is a cheap and easy way to get laughs. Probably a sign that this 50-year-old guy is tired and no longer has the cutting-edge wit that originally got him where he is. But there's no excuse crass arrogance and downright rudeness. No way should he get a BAFTA or anything else. Why wasn't he fired from the BBC????
- Alison, London, UK, 26/03/2009 10:32
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No No No. This man should not get a BAFTA.Lets campaign against this gastly love in for Luvvies being shown on BBC TV or any TV channel.
- Jim, London, 25/03/2009 21:20
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I don't really care about how offensive he is, he's simply dull, bland and unfunny and doesn't deserve to win.
- Bob, Cheam, 25/03/2009 16:31
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Ghastly. Does this country have no moral values? Totally overpaid and talentless. Once more paid by the taxpayer.
- Maggi Weller, London, UK, 25/03/2009 16:04
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Many thanks to your contributors to the comments from Australia and Canada. Its nice to hear your views but since you don't pay UK TV license fees or indeed have access to Jonathan Ross (unless you are deliberately downloading his programs to be outraged) I would suggest your opinions on Mr Ross and indeed on BAFTA (the B stands for British) are, with respect, valueless.
- Paul, London, 25/03/2009 14:49
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So Henry Bellingham thinks Jonothan's show is in poor taste. Why on earth did David Cameron appear on it then?
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain, 25/03/2009 13:22
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I do think Jonathan Ross deserves the award for Best Entertainer. He's consistantly brilliant on his televsion and radio shows.
- Ben S, London, 25/03/2009 12:54
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I don't think Ross deserves an award, because I personally think he is rubbish. But I don't agree with Sach's complaint. This man was a has been from a 70's programme who had done nothing significant since. His profile has been raised by this incident, and he should be grateful to Ross. With regards to the granddaughter, she has milked it too, and let's face it not exactly an innocent.
- E Sullivan, London, 25/03/2009 09:41
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Why was Russell Brand treated so differently?
- Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD, 25/03/2009 07:26
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Best Entertainer? Whose kidding who? He certainly doesnt do anything for me. There's no talent there.
- Barbara, sydney, australia, 25/03/2009 06:20
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Jonathan Ross IS the best entertainer on the box by far and his radio show is a lot of fun too. He deserves the Bafta for his friday night show. If some people dont like it switch over, you have a lot of other channels to choose from like the history channel, the sci fi channel or even a documentary channel, i enjoy the banter and the laughs he has on his shows with celebrity guests who also seem to enjoy being there. Its light entertainment done very well. Keep it going Rossi boy.
- Mr S.Port, London, 25/03/2009 00:09
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I think Andrew Sachs is doing himself a great disservice by supplying quotes regarding the 'Sachsgate' affair. If he has 'moved on' then stop fueling the fire.
- Richard, London, 24/03/2009 23:09
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Why do we even need these self congratulatory exhibitions for over paid actors and actresses, very few other occupations have anything even remotely similar, despite earning very much less money.
- John W, HAMILTON CANADA, 24/03/2009 22:58
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If he has any nous or shaME he will turn it down
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 24/03/2009 16:48
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I enjoy Jonathan Ross on TV and radio and I'm glad he was suspended not sacked but I really think that this year he should NOT be nominated for a BAFTA as a matter of principle. He has blotted his copybook and needs to learn his lesson. He is vastly overpaid too!
- Mary Freeman, Milton Keynes,UK, 24/03/2009 15:59
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without doubt this is a woeful example of the depths the 'entertainment' industry has plummeted into.
he is overpaid, under talented and riding the crest of his dubious ego.
isn't his obscene 'salary' enough 'reward' for his tacky en devours?
- M.O'Brien, london.uk, 24/03/2009 15:56
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Get over it Mr Sashs, you're being pathetic. Your granddaughter is hardly a wilting violet as her comments above show, and both of you have benefitted hugely from the exposure. The man has lost a fortune, just when will you be satisfied with your pound of flesh?
I for one am glad to see Wossy back, and have yet to forgive the has been and the nobody for the loss of my Russell Brand podcast.
- Wendy K, London, 24/03/2009 15:50
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Um..excuse me Mr. Bafta, but how can Fry, Ross and Ant & Dec be included under the entertainment 'performance' category? They don't/can't 'perform ' in the accepted sense. They read an autocue for a living.
Morecambe and Wise, Dave Allen, Tarby, Benny Hill, Dick Emery, Monkhouse, Cannon and Ball, Russ Aboot and many other tv entertainers from he 60's to the 80's may be considered uncool and tragically un-hip by todays audiences, but whatever you think of them , they performed year after year in summer seasons, cabaret, pantos etc. They may have used autocue from time to time on tv, but if it went wrong their years of performing in front of live audiences had provided them with the skills to carry on and/or entertain the studio audience. Can you imagine Stephen Fry packing audiencs into theatres twice-nightly from May to October? What can he do other than look smug?
- Jargonaut, South London, 24/03/2009 15:18
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Ridiculous. In addition, I do not understand the need for all these different entertainer type awards events. These entertainers (it's only a JOB after all) are being paid (and presumably applauded at the time that they actually do their job -- entertain)for what they do and that should be adequate and the end of the matter.
- Raymond, Poole, 24/03/2009 15:17
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When did he give this "wonderful" performance I must have blinked and missed it>
- Mike Melbourne, Bedford England, 24/03/2009 14:22
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Ross best entertainer?
No wonder TV is on the way out.
- Mickyinlondon, london, 24/03/2009 12:02
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