OFCOM TO PROBE ROSS AND BRAND CALLS

And Prime Minister Gordon Brown described the calls made by the two presenters to actor Andrew Sachs as "inappropriate and unacceptable".

The calls, made for a BBC radio show, involved a claim that Brand had slept with the Fawlty Towers actor's granddaughter Georgina Baillie, 23.

The presenters also joked that the actor might kill himself as a result. Ross, 47, has since issued a personal apology, with Brand, 33, following suit.

A spokeswoman for the media watchdog, which has received complaints about the incident, confirmed Ofcom has decided to investigate.

Sources also said that a senior editorial figure signed off the pre-recorded Radio 2 programme.

Pressure has been mounting for the BBC to take further action over the incident, which the corporation has apologised for.

The Daily Mail reported that a producer named Nic Philps had been given the responsibility of calling Sachs to check if he would be happy for the messages to go out.

But a source also said that an un-named senior figure gave the broadcast the go-ahead.

The BBC received more than 1,500 complaints, including phone calls and emails, and there have been calls for the pair to be taken off air or sacked.