BBC boss: 'I'm sorry for gross lapse of taste'

BBC Director General Mark Thompson expressed his anger today over the "gross lapse of taste" that led to him suspending two of his top stars.

He described how he personally took offence over the series of obscene phone calls Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand made to the 78-year-old actor Andrew Sachs for Brand's Radio2 show.

Mr Thompson cut short a family holiday in Italy to deal with the crisis, 11 days after the show went out.

He said: "I would like to add my own personal and unreserved apology to Andrew Sachs, his family and to licence fee payers for the completely unacceptable broadcast.

"BBC audiences accept that, in comedy, performers attempt to push the line of taste. However, this is not a marginal case. It is clear from the views expressed by the public that this broadcast has caused severe offence and I share that view."

Mr Thompson said a decision on the future of the two stars would be made after an investigation by BBC director of audio and sound Tim Davie which is "nearing completion".

He added: "I am returning to London to review the findings and, in the coming days, announce what action we will take. In the meantime, I have decided that it is not appropriate for either Russell Brand or Jonathan Ross to continue broadcasting on the BBC until I have seen the full report of the actions of all concerned.

"This gross lapse of taste by the performers and the production team has angered licence payers. I am determined that we satisfy them that any lessons will be learnt and appropriate action taken."

The prank involved Ross, who earns £6million-a-year from the BBC, and Brand leaving phone messages for Sachs saying Brand had slept with his granddaughter.

A BBC source said Mr Thompson "has drummed it into everyone at the corporation that we need to win back the trust of the British public after the phone vote rows and controversy surrounding the documentary about the Queen", adding: "This is a major setback to everything he is trying to achieve and he has made it known that he is disgusted. We have procedures and guidelines in place to stop offensive material from being broadcast and he wants to get to the bottom how this slipped through the net."

The Russell Brand show has attracted the third highest number of complaints in broadcasting history with more than 18,000. Only Jerry Springer The Opera on the BBC attracted more with 47,000, followed by the Celebrity Big Brother race row involving Shilpa Shetty and Jade Goody with 45,000 complaints. However, both were television rather than radio programmes.

The pre-recorded show was cleared to air despite Sachs being upset by it. The corporation would not confirm whether the pair would be paid during the period they are suspended.

Studio staff were preparing to record Ross's TV chat show when the suspension was announced. Guests lined up included Sir David Attenborough, Frank Skinner, Miley Cyrus and The Killers who were all notified this afternoon. A BBC source said: "David Attenborough was 'uncomfortable' about going on Ross's chat show after the prank and expressed his concerns to senior producers last night."

Radio 1 Newsbeat editor Rod McKenzie said on the BBC Editors' blog that some of the anger over the incident had been "synthetic" and that the corporation was being attacked by its "usual critics".

McKenzie insisted the reaction from younger BBC audiences had been broadly supportive of Ross and Brand. The response from Newsbeat listeners had initially been "two to one" in their favour, and had now swelled to "six to one".