British media watchdog Ofcom is to investigate a series of crude messages left on the answerphone of Fawlty Towersactor Andrew Sachs by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross during a BBC radio show.
The Radio 2 presenters joked on air that Brand had slept with Sachs' grand-daughter and said he may kill himself after hearing their messages earlier this month.
"Ofcom has launched an investigation into the Russell Brand show broadcast on BBC Radio 2," said the media watchdog in a statement today.
"All UK broadcasters must adhere to Ofcom's Broadcasting Code which sets standards for the content of television and radio broadcasting."
The BBC has apologised to the 78-year-old Sachs, who played Spanish waiter Manuel in the classic comedy series, for the "unacceptable and offensive" comments.
The furore prompted a host of outraged headlines today with the front page of the
Daily Mailscreaming "SACK THEM!"
"Even by the standards of this puerile, smutty pair, this was a disgusting and gratuitously cruel way to a treat 78-year-old Andrew Sachs," the paper said in an editorial.
"Is there any reason why we should be expected to go on paying this vile man (Brand) -- or the executives who judge his filth fit to broadcast?"
The broadcast has prompted thousands of complaints to the BBC, which is holding its own investigation and must report to the BBC Trust, the body which oversees the broadcaster, by November 20th.
"We need to do the investigation calmly, fairly and thoroughly with some urgency to get to the bottom of the facts," said director of BBC audio and music Tim Davie.
"We will take action once we know the facts," added Davie, who will lead the BBC investigation.
Brand and Ross said they decided to leave a message for the actor after he failed to come to the phone for an interview.
After making the quip about Sachs' grand-daughter Georgina, Ross said: "I can't help it. You were talking about it and it was in my head. I got excited, what can I say? It just came out."
Brand burst out laughing and said: "I did not do nothing. Oh no, it's a disaster, abort abort...put the phone down. Code red, code red."
They made more calls to the actor during the show, including one where Brand sang the words "I'd like to apologise for these terrible attacks, Andrew Sachs."
In another, Brand said Sachs couldn't come to the phone because he was "too busy thinking about killing myself".
Sachs's agent Meg Poole said the actor would be happy with a "satisfactory apology" from the BBC.
"He wasn't very pleased with them as you can imagine and he found them quite upsetting," she added. "But it's not something he very much wanted to talk about."
Ross, who also presents a television chatshow, and Brand are among the best known names on BBC radio.
Ross' current BBC contract is widely reported to be worth £18 million over three years.