So, back in October 2008 – remember that year? – Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross left some rude messages on 78-year-old Andrew Sachs answerphone during Brand’s Radio 2 show, and then 3 people listened and complained, and then a Daily Mail journalist listened again (Damn you, BBC iPlayer!) and wrote an article about it, then 30,000 Daily Mail readers got upset because the story didn’t involve Princess Di, and then the rest of the media went mad and considered the top news item for three days running, and really, my cat just licked its arse, can I get this as the top story on the News At Ten as it’s right up there with Sachsgate and the nation need to know about it and discuss it at length and hopefully it will be mentioned in parliament too?
Anyway, let’s take a look at how all the central players are doing now:
- Russell Brand: had to resign from the BBC, which leaves him more time to make a name for himself in Hollywood
- Jonathan Ross: was given a 3-month suspension, which he has used to full effect by larking around in Florida (hey, who wouldn’t?)
- Georgina Baillie, aka “The Grandaughter”: before the scandal, was dancing around like a satantic slut but nobody knew her name. Still dancing around like a satanic slut, but now everyone knows her name. (The sounds like an episode of Cheers gone bad.) Well, they’ll know her name for the next 5, 4, 3, 2…
And from today’s news:
- Andrew Sachs: will be in bloody Coronation Street later this year!
So, to recap, the scandal has made one person famous, allowed another to further their career in Hollywood, given a third their career back and the fourth a chance to faff around in the sun!
Oh yeah, and bored the rest of us…