How long before someone notices the real reason for the righteous indignation?

Answer - never - because as long as the meeeejah never admits "we are to blame for spreading the word" - and don't forget the BBC is a part of the meeeeejah - the stoopid punters will fail to spot the reality coz they are fick.

Back to the actuality. A few thousand heard the specialist, student, night time prank, only 2 objected, Sachs couldn't give a toss, nobody cared until the Mail On Sunday inflated it, screamed about it, put it on the front page, whipped up a storm of hysteria (and made it offensive).

A bit complex for the average punter.

Jonathan Ross isn't a student. He's 47! Leaving abusive messages on a grandfather's phone about his granddaughter isn't a 'prank'...it's a criminal offence.

I never heard the messages but reading the reports it sounds like a call to find out where a booked guest was became jovial and silly and very irresponsible.

But if everyone who chortled and giggled mild obscenities onto an answering machine whilst clearly indicating who was calling got prosecuted, I'd say it was legal over reaction.

Let me get this straight, two people who heard the broadcast on the night complained.

Then everybody else complained after clicking on the link the papers/BBC had given them and after being told it was offensive.

What the hell has it got to do with Gordon Brown as well.

Andrew Sachs has said that Ross has apologised personally and that is the end of the matter.

As for his grandaughter, she has signed with Clifford (he has got fed up with Kerry Katona hasn't he?) judging by her awful piece in the Sun.

The BBC should hang their heads in shame suspending them, after all they have been giving the publicity on their news channels of what happened.

I agree Mike. This whole "episode" has snowballed since the media made a big story out of it. Apparently the complaints are up to around 10,000. Most of whom probably never heard it.

My younger sister listened to the show because she had a crush on Mr Brand. She was shocked by the "prank", and she switched it off, but she didn't make a complaint to the BBC because she thought it wouldn't be taken seriously. She has mixed feelings for Brand now. I think her star just fell off the tree.

now 26000 complaints but in a country of 70 million people ?. Nothing. A mere snip considering the number who read (?) the deeply offensive NoTW !

As someone who has spent most of their adult life trying to offend people I can only sympathise.