Politicians and BBC bosses have got it wrong

Good grief... it's much ado about nothing at the BBC - all that palaver concerning Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on Radio.

So they made some 'lewd' comments on the voicemail of Andrew Sachs of Fawlty Towers (something to do with his sleeping with his 23 year old granddaughter, Georgina Baillie) - comments that perhaps should not have been broadcast on radio.

But really, were they that bad that this issue should have gained the momentum it has?

Now everyone, including politicians (as Jonathan Walker pointed out in his post) have jumped on a bandwagon to express how horrified they are. Even Gordon Brown made prime ministerial time to register his shock as if this issue was on par with the recent matters concerning the global economy.

It's ridiculous - as if the 'holier-than-thou', sanctimonious brigade have hijacked the news media.

And it's strange really, because after the initial complaints the presenters apologised, then they got suspended, and then, surprisingly - this afternoon, in fact, Brand resigned.

Over-reaction? Not half. Surely an apology from both would have sufficed? Did we really need sacrificial blood-letting?

Ok so these presenters over stepped their mark - big deal. But isn't that the name of the game? I mean, surely that's the reason why the BBC pay such a large sum to these guys - they push back the boundaries of taste and public decency. And every now and then they have to try and be daring - we expect that, we want that.

It's a risk - sometimes comedians and presenters like Brand and Ross get it wrong. That's why we listen to their shows - it's exciting. But - at the same time - both of these individual talents are also funny and very entertaining. And when it comes to their dealing with public figures they're sharp, witty, satirical and beautifully irreverent.

Don't we need that in today's day and age of celebrity and ego.

What good is served if you sack a presenter because he misjudged the quality of his material? In the case of Brand much of what he does - and is renowned for - is based on the spur of the moment ad-lib.

In fact, I've got nothing against him or Ross.

Instead, I would argue that the bosses like Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC, who gave his 'personal... unreserved apology', needs to stop being so submissive to the right wing critics and, for once, stand by the artists.

In my opinion the people who have really won are Andrew Sachs (has he had such publicity since the Fawlty Towers?) and his granddaughter who, I believe, has sold her story to The Sun for - no doubt - a grand astronomical amount.

It's just what Brand would have satirised...