BBC APOLOGIES FOR TASTELESS RADIO PRANK

Brand, 33, denied this, but added: “Oh no, I have revealed I know her name.”

After discussing how Sachs might hang himself as a result, the pair made a string of calls in which they ostensibly attempted to apologise for what was “just a joke”, but continued to leave lewd messages.

At one point, Brand sang: “I said some things I didn’t of oughta, like I had sex with your granddaughter, though it was consensual.”

A spokeswoman for Sachs said the actor, who played waiter Manuel in Fawlty Towers, was “upset” by the incident but did not wish to comment further.

His agent, Meg Poole, said she had emailed and written to the BBC to formally complain about the calls.

Brand was reprimanded by rocker Rod Stewart in 2006 for making similar claims.

Brand angered the singer when he told the audience at the GQ Man of the Year awards ceremony he had had “a little go at his daughter”.

Stewart delivered a firm telling-off to the comedian for the remark about Kimberly, prompting the presenter to admit that he had not had sex with her.

Stewart retorted: “F****** right you didn’t. So you mustn’t come up here and boast.”

In a more recent incident, in July this year, Brand’s on-stage routine prompted a police warning about hoax calls, after an audience in Northampton watched him prank call the local force to claim he had spotted someone responsible for a number of assaults in the area.

The Sachs incident has also reinforced the aptness of the title for Ross’ recent book, Why Do I Say These Things?

Brand delivered a light-hearted apology over the calls on his latest radio show, aware that a Sunday newspaper was preparing a story about the October 18 broadcast.

He said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to issue a personal Russell Brand apology to Andrew Sachs, the great comic actor who played Manuel, for a message that Jonathan and I left on his answerphone, but it was quite funny.

“But! Sometimes, you mustn’t swear on someone’s answerphone and that’s why I’d like to apologise personally.”
Mr Sachs was not available for comment today but Ms Poole said she was unable to comment on the apology until she received it directly from the BBC.

Mediawatch-UK, the pressure group which campaigns for “decency and accountability” in the media, called for Brand and Ross to be removed from broadcasting while the BBC investigated the incident.

Director John Beyer said: “It’s good that the BBC has apologised but, as I understand it, it was a prerecorded thing that got approval. I think that approval was a huge mistake.

“The two presenters really should have known better. It’s a grave invasion of Mr Sachs’ privacy and the content of the call was clearly obscene.

“I think the BBC should look at the possibility of putting other presenters on air while it conducts this investigation to reassure the public it is taking the matter seriously.”

Mr Beyer said he had received several calls from people who were angry about the incident.

“People strongly object to licence fee payers’ money being used to fund these sorts of immature pranks.”

He said the calls should also be investigated by BT.

Mr Beyer added: “It’s done damage to the reputation of the BBC. It’s a controversy they can do without, having just survived all the controversy about fraudulent phone calls and competitions.

“They are now faced with another controversy about these calls.”