Sachs’ granddaughter calls on Brand to ‘acknowledge suffering’

Georgina Baillie, an actor and artist who once had a consensual relationship with Russell Brand in the mid-2000s, has urged him to recognize the pain he has inflicted following his conviction for rape and sexual assault. Despite the court’s findings, Baillie had previously expressed support for Brand, submitting a statement in court that said, “I still choose to support him as a person I know him to be.”

Baillie, known also as the granddaughter of Andrew Sachs—the actor famous for Fawlty Towers—became widely known after a controversial incident in 2008. During a live broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Brand and presenter Jonathan Ross left inappropriate and offensive messages on her grandfather’s answering machine. The broadcast generated significant backlash from both the public and politicians, resulting in a record number of complaints directed at the BBC.

The fallout from the scandal was serious: Russell Brand resigned from his positions, and Jonathan Ross faced a suspension lasting three months. The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, imposed a £150,000 fine on the BBC, citing the “extraordinary nature and seriousness” of the broadcaster’s errors. The BBC accepted these findings, acknowledging that the content “should never have been broadcast.”

In the lead-up to Brand’s sentencing, the BBC’s Graham Satchell conducted an interview with Baillie. During the court proceedings, one of Brand’s victims described him as “a sexual predator who has no remorse,” highlighting the gravity of the case against him