Russell Brand Stirring Up Trouble In The UK

Here in the US, most of us just think of Russell Brand as a shaggy-haired comedian who has a penchant for wearing tight pants and eyeliner. However, across the pond it looks like Brand is becoming famous for more serious things - like causing a huge disruption within the BBC as well as the general public.

Just two weeks ago, Brand and fellow radio personality Jonathan Ross prank called Andrew Sachs, and left messages on the 78-year-old actor's voice mail, claiming that Brand had slept with Sachs' granddaughter Georgina.

At that point, Variety reports that only two people complained, so no one imagined the drama that would ensue 8 days later. After a UK paper published an article about Brand's lewd prank calls, hundreds of people (including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown) complained, and as a result Brand and Ross were suspended from their positions at the BBC. Shortly after that, Brand and BBC Radio 2 exec Lesley Douglas resigned, and now it looks like there might be additional resignations as Variety calls this "the biggest crisis to hit the world's most famous pubcaster" in nearly five years.