Jonathan Ross steps out for a walk with wife Jane Goldman after ‘Sachsgate’ scandal is re-aired as part of Russell Brand Dispatches documentary

• Mr Ross and his wife of 35 years were seen going for a walk in public together 

Jonathan Ross was seen walking with his wife as a notorious scandal in his career was re-aired in the wake of allegations concerning Russell Brand.

The chat show host  62, looked relaxed as he strolled with wife of 35 years Jane Goldman.

He may not be enjoying the current storm surrounding his former BBC colleague and presenter Brand as it has reignited interest in the scandal that effectively ended their careers with the broadcaster.

The so-called ‘Sachsgate’ affair – which saw Brand and Ross leave a series of lewd answerphone messages to Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs – was featured on Dispatches harrowing investigation into the now under-fire comedian, 48.

Brand has been accused of rape and sexual assault by four women in the Channel 4 documentary’s allegations.

He vehemently denies any wrongdoing and there is also no suggestion Ross had any idea of any of the claims or is in any way linked to them.

Mr Ross, 62, looked relaxed as he strolled with wife of 35 years Jane Goldman on Tuesday

Mr Ross was wearing an all-black outfit of t-shirt and trousers while his wife wore white and tan

Brand and Ross broadcasting before making an apology to actor Andrew Sachs on Brand’s BBC Radio 2 show for leaving offensive messages on his answerphone

Jonathan Ross with his wife Jane Goldman

‘Sachsgate’, as it became known, erupted after Brand and Ross called the much-loved actor during Brand’s BBC radio show in 2008 and left him obscene voicemails

READ MORE: Andrew Sachs’ granddaughter Georgina Baillie says: ‘I do not see Russell Brand as a rapist’

Mr Sachs – famous for playing bungling Spanish waiter Manuel in the 1970s comedy – was the grandfather of Georgina Baillie, a dancer who Brand had slept with but Sachs was not aware of.

At the time Brand was 33 and Georgina – a performer with a group called Satanic Sluts – was 23 and there was outcry after the messages were broadcast as part of his show.

Ross said, ‘He f***** your granddaughter’ in the pre-recorded broadcast. 

In total Brand and Ross left three messages on his answerphone making repeated and graphic claims about his granddaughter’s relationship – at one point Brand even asked if he could have his ‘permission’ to marry Georgina.

While in another Brand told Sachs: ‘But it was consensual and she wasn’t menstrual, it was consensual lovely sex.

‘It was full of respect I sent her a text, I’ve asked her to marry me, Andrew Sachs.’

Later on in the show, Ross then said that if people were offended by the prank calls they had made to Sachs they were ‘crazy’.

The BBC received more than 40,000 complaints and Sachs said he was horrified at what the pair had done.

Brand and then controller of Radio 2 Lesley Douglas quit as a result while Ross was also suspended from broadcasting for three months, and there was a change in the way BBC output was vetted.

Sachsgate was the 2008 scandal that cost Russell Brand his job at Radio 2 after he and fellow presenter Jonathan Ross left obscene messages on the answerphone of Fawlty Towers legend Andrew Sachs. Brand and Ross are pictured on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2013

At the time Brand was 33 and Georgina Baillie (pictured in 2011) – who was a dancer with a group called Satanic Sluts – was 23 and there was outcry after the messages were broadcast as part of his show

Former BBC Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas pictured with Russell Brand 

A BBC spokesman confirmed that several complaints were made to Ms Douglas, but they were never investigated, adding that they ‘only went as far as that’ and ‘nothing was done’.

Both Brand and Ross apologised for their actions and later in October 2008, and in the same month the BBC also apologised to Sachs.

In 2009, Ofcom also fined the BBC £150,000 over the phone calls, describing them as ‘gratuitously offensive, humiliating and demeaning’.

During an interview for BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs in 2013 Brand claimed the scandal had erupted because he had become caught up in an anti-BBC ‘agenda’.

But he did reiterate his apology for the upset the incident caused, but suggested it was a ‘dishonest scandal’ because it was hijacked by those motivated by a bias against the corporation.

In 2014, two years before Sachs died, Brand wrote a letter of apology to him and said he was sorry for the ‘distress, sadness and turbulence’ caused.

Brand and Ross in 2008 left obscene messages on the answerphone of Fawlty Towers legend Andrew Sachs (pictured in 2013). The esteemed actor – famous for playing bungling Spanish waiter Manuel in the 1970s comedy – was the grandfather of Georgina Baillie a dancer who Brand had slept with

He added: ‘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.

‘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.’

READ MORE: Channel 4 and BBC remove Russell Brand shows including QI, Bake Off and Joe Wicks podcast from their streaming services – as Tim Davie launches review of the comic’s time at corporation and says his content was ‘completely unacceptable’

Since the allegations broke, Ms Baillie, now aged 38, told The Mirror her relationship with Brand was consensual but after the fling she turned to drugs and alcohol after being made the ‘butt of the joke’ in his comedy routine.

Brand would later apologise to Ms Baillie and paid for her rehab after recognising ‘his behaviour towards me was appalling’, she said.

‘After Sachsgate, Russell made millions of pounds doing a stand-up routine about it and that was very hard and painful for me – I was the butt of the joke, I was young and didn’t know how to process it and I turned to drink and drugs,’ she added.

Brand, in March 2019 – 11 years after the incident – apologised to Ms Baillie and reportedly offered her ‘thousands of pounds’ to get her back on track. She is now a successful artist living with her mother in Bedford.

Brand is understood to have decided himself to go see the former ‘Satanic Sluts’ dancer at her home for a ‘face-to-face’ meeting and admitted the whole saga was his fault.

Ms Baillie reportedly accepted his apology but said afterwards: ‘What took him so long? All he ever had to do was call me.’ 

Since the accusations against Brand were made public, Ms Baillie has also has come forward to say she was never attacked by the comedian, but hopes ‘these alleged survivors get the help that they need’. 

Speaking to TalkTV on Tuesday night, Ms Baillie declared that she does not believe he is rapist but insisted his accusers must not all be written off as liars.

Russell Brand ‘s former lover Georgina Baillie said: ‘From my own personal experience I do not see Russell as a rapist’ – but she says the women should be believed

Sachs did not speak to his granddaughter for eight years. Brand eventually wrote him a letter in 2014 – two years before he died – apologising for the ‘stress, sadness and turbulence’ 

She said: ‘From my own personal experience I do not see Russell as a rapist, however, the evidence is compelling so one has to keep an open mind.

I’m not saying they are lies, it was a long time ago and they [the women] should be believed and get some help’. 

READ MORE: ‘He is vulgar and he is offensive – but he is NOT a monster’: Russell Brand’s close friends DEFEND him in the wake of ‘shocking’ rape allegations – and insist wife Laura WILL stand by him because he has ‘always been transparent with her’

Despite the backlash – which was even discussed in Parliament – Ross did not consider walking away from the broadcaster, claiming the issue had been ‘blown out of all proportion’. 

Recalling the incident last year, Ross said: ‘I didn’t want the people who were going for me and going for Russell to win. That would have been their victory. 

‘I didn’t want to throw anyone under the bus, but after the recording I actually said, ‘You know you can’t put that out unless we have his [Sachs’s] permission? You’ve got to make sure…’ That’s why the BBC couldn’t fire me.’

The radio personality also claimed the BBC has become more risk-averse and dull in the wake of his Sachsgate scandal.

Ross, who hosted a show on Radio 2 for ten years, admitted he now rarely tunes in. Talking to Dermot O’Leary on his Audible podcast in August last year, he said: ‘I wish it was a little bit more interesting. 

‘A lot of the time it feels like they don’t take risks any more, which they used to.

‘Obviously I’m part of the reason they don’t do that any more because of the huge cock-up of me and Russell on his show.

‘It’s one of the reasons they allowed themselves to be beaten back into a position of, ‘Oh, don’t take risks, don’t take chances.’

Russell Brand leaves the Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London after performing a comedy set on Saturday

It comes as Brand faces further claims of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches. 

Channel 4 and the BBC have both launched internal investigations into separate accusations of predatory behaviour towards staff and audience members by Brand during the time of his employment.

The ex-staffers have claimed that Brand got them to ‘act like pimps’ by getting the numbers of women in the audience and passing notes to them from the presenter.

Brand vehemently denies all allegations and insists all relationships were consensual.

Source: Read Full Article