Jonathan Ross

During a recording of the Russell Brand Show on BBC Radio 2, Brand and Ross left actor Andrew Sachs explicit telephone messages about his granddaughter Georgina Baillie. The messages were broadcast. The affair caused a major crisis at the BBC; Ross was suspended without pay for twelve weeks, and the BBC was subsequently sanctioned by Ofcom.

State of the evidence

Admitted by the person

Attribution

Directly implicated

Shortly after returning from suspension, Ross told a joke on Radio 2 involving a colleague and an elderly Spanish woman. Relatives of the woman complained of public humiliation, and the episode revived debate over his editorial judgment.

State of the evidence

Documented

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Personally implicated

On Radio 2, Ross joked that a boy asking for a Hannah Montana MP3 player might later be "put up for adoption" when he moved in with his partner. Sixty-one complaints alleged that the remark was homophobic.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

On Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Ross told Gwyneth Paltrow that he wanted to have sex with her, using an explicit term. BBC management and Ofcom had initially dismissed the complaints, but the BBC Trust subsequently found the remark gratuitous and unnecessarily offensive.

Attribution

Personally implicated

Ross joked about Heather Mills, then receiving extensive media attention, calling her a liar and suggesting she might actually have two legs. The joke was cited in the debate over the representation of amputees in the media.

State of the evidence

Documented

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Personally implicated

At the British Comedy Awards, Ross joked about his pay, saying he was worth a thousand BBC journalists at a time when job cuts were being announced. The evening also featured jokes about highly sensitive matters, fuelling criticism of the ceremony's tone.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

During a television interview with David Cameron, Jonathan Ross asked whether he had ever masturbated while thinking about Margaret Thatcher. The segment prompted 251 complaints and was reviewed by Ofcom.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated