Turbulent history of Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand's friendship as talk show host condemns rapist comedian
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host → condemn → comedian
Ross built up a friendship with Brand on the television circuit in the early Noughties and the pair later became embroiled in scandal with the “Sachsgate” controversy.
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pair → build → controversy
The duo grew so close that Ross attended Brand’s two weddings.
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Ross → grow → weddings
Following Brand’s jailing, the Standard takes a look at the pair’s long-standing former friendship and where things went wrong.
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things → follow → friendship
Ross and Brand became friends in 2006 when Brand made his debut appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.
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Brand → become → Ross
Ross appeared on several television shows alongside Brand and also featured on his BBC Radio 2 show in 2008, when the pair became mired in a scandal involving actor Andrew Sachs’ granddaughter Georgina Baillie.
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pair → appear → granddaughter
Dubbed Sachsgate, the incident saw them leave a voicemail for Sachs, during which they made sexually explicit comments about Baillie.
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they → dub → Baillie
Brand said: "Andrew Sachs, Andrew Sachs.
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Brand → say → Sachs
I said something I didn't have oughta, like I had sex with your granddaughter.
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I → say → granddaughter
It was full of respect, I sent her a text, I've asked her to marry me, Andrew Sachs."
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I → send → me
The incident led to Brand stepping down from Radio 2 and Ross receiving a three-month suspension.
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Ross → lead → suspension
It didn’t seem to affect the pair’s friendship, however, as Ross went on to be a guest at Brand’s wedding to Katy Perry in Rajasthan, Indian, in 2010.
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Ross → seem → 2010
David Walliams, who was accused of sexual misconduct this week, was also in attendance.
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who → accuse → attendance
Ross and Brand later said Sachsgate was a “bonding” experience for them and they grew “very close” as a result.
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they → say → result
"Let's deal with this, because we're both keen to put this behind us.
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we → let → us
People, I think are perhaps curious as to how we felt about it afterwards,” Ross said when Brand appeared on his chat show in 2013.
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Brand → think → 2013
"We did both regret the furore that we caused, and also the hurt it may have caused Mr Sachs and his family."
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it → regret → Sachs
Brand added: "Obviously we regretted it because it became difficult to distinguish the media phenomena from the obvious impolite act.
"
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it → add → act
I consider myself quite a polite person right, but sometimes you get excited when you're doing a joke.
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you → consider → joke
You know when David Attenborough, he was saying when the camera men are filming an animal and they sort of think 'this is brilliant' and they forget it's actual reality – I sometimes think like that with comedy.
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I → know → comedy
I'm doing the joke, and I think 'this is brilliant, this is brilliant' and then you sort of realise, 'oh that's reality with real consequences.'
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that → do → consequences
I went 'oh it's only a joke' – I didn't realise that we were part of the frequency of reality."
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we → go → reality
Ross responded: "Russell and I went through an unusual experience together and even though we're both embarrassed by what we did, that's fair enough – but at the same time, the only genuinely nice thing that came out of it for me was the fact that we became very close.”
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we → respond → me
The pair did not have a public falling out in recent years, but the extent of their recent friendship remains unclear.
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extent → have → friendship
The talk show host denounced Brand and Walliams in a statement earlier this week.
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host → denounce → statement
“I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation,” he said.
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he → horrify → nation
“There was a time in my life when I was on friendly terms with both men, and during that period I was genuinely unaware of their conduct.
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I → be → conduct
My thoughts are with the many, many women who have bravely come forward.”
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who → come → women
The Aporia
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