Post by Teddy Bear on Feb 5, 2009 3:01:50 GMT
Enjoying a drink with some colleagues after a show, Carol Thatcher mentioned that the hairstyle of a particular tennis player reminded her of the once used golliwog logo of Robinson Jams.
Why anybody should find offense in that is beyond me. It is not calling them a golliwog, or making even the faintest notion of a racist remark - merely comparing the look of somebody's hair to a once well known figure.
But one of the left wing liberal colleagued was injured in their PC heads by her comment and chose to notify her BBC heads, who almost immediately fired her.
The same BBC which only a few months ago could see no fault in the Ross/Brand garbage, and only took action after tens of thousands of people complained, here finds shock horror by a perfectly innocent remark made off-air by an ex TORY prime minister's daughter.
What an asylum!
Why anybody should find offense in that is beyond me. It is not calling them a golliwog, or making even the faintest notion of a racist remark - merely comparing the look of somebody's hair to a once well known figure.
But one of the left wing liberal colleagued was injured in their PC heads by her comment and chose to notify her BBC heads, who almost immediately fired her.
The same BBC which only a few months ago could see no fault in the Ross/Brand garbage, and only took action after tens of thousands of people complained, here finds shock horror by a perfectly innocent remark made off-air by an ex TORY prime minister's daughter.
What an asylum!
Furious Carol Thatcher accuses BBC of vendetta against her after leaking of golliwog 'joke'
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:37 PM on 04th February 2009
Comments (137) Add to My Stories
The Carol Thatcher race row intensified today as attention centred on who leaked her 'golliwog' remark.
Her agent pointed the finger at a member of the production team on BBC's The One Show and suggested that it was part of a vendetta against Baroness Thatcher's daughter.
Comedian Jo Brand, who was a guest on the show, denied that it was her.
The 55-year-old daughter of the former prime minister was axed by the corporation after she refused to apologise for using the term while describing a black tennis player thought to be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Carol Thatcher with show guest Jo Brand on Thursday night's The One Show
Thatcher, a roving reporter for the programme, made her comments during a post-show conversation with presenter Adrian Chiles and several guests including Brand.
Today Thatcher's agent Ali Gunn, asked on Talksport if she believed that this is a personal campaign against Thatcher, said: "That's what I believe, yes. It has been condoned by the producers of the BBC who haven't acted to discipline that member of staff."
Ms Gunn said: "This was a private conversation held in private, amongst individuals in the green room after she Carol Thatcher had been on The One Show.
"At the time nobody objected to that conversation and I wasn't made aware of the conversation until Saturday morning ie 48 hours after the conversation had taken place. Obviously they [the BBC] know what their agenda is and there is certainly an agenda behind this.
"This comment was made in jest afterwards in the green room over a drink and no one objected to it at the time.
"I think it's absolutely outrageous that the BBC has condoned this leak."
She went on: "They haven't even disciplined the member of staff and frankly we issued a fulsome apology that was rejected."
Meanwhile, Tory peer Lord Tebbit weighed into the row, also suggesting the corporation was "taking revenge" on Thatcher's mother.
He said: "It does seem very odd that Jonathan Ross can be back broadcasting having made obscene, insulting remarks on the air, and Carol Thatcher, who said something which is allegedly highly offensive but which I rather doubt was meant to be so, in private, should be banned. It is probably a bit of a way for the BBC to get back at Carol's mother."
The former prime minister's daughter, 55, was dealt with quickly and sternly.
However Ross, 48, who earns £6million a year, was given a three-month suspension without pay and has since returned to work. In addition, the BBC took 11 days to suspend him.
Miss Thatcher used the word golliwog while in the green room with comedian Jo Brand and One Show presenter Adrian Chiles last Thursday.
Brand herself is at the centre of a police investigation over quips she made during Live At The Apollo. She joked that as a result of the British National Party's membership list being made public on the internet, she now knew the addresses where to send the "poo" through the post.
The following day, Simon Darby, the BNP's deputy leader, made an official complaint to police alleging that her comment had been an act of incitement to cause racial harassment.
The green room is TV jargon for the lounge where guests and presenters relax before and after they go in front of the cameras.
Chiles and Brand are understood to have been the only two others in the room. They are said to have challenged her about the comment which then filtered out to the rest of the production team.
The three were talking about the Australian Open tennis tournament, which ended in Melbourne at the weekend.
Miss Thatcher is said to have referred to a black tennis player, understood to be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, noted for his physical resemblance to Muhammed Ali, as a 'golliwog'.
Insiders claim Chiles had been upset at her comments, as have other members of the production team. She was challenged about the remark on Thursday, but only apologised on Monday, dismissing what she said as a joke.
Bitterness deepened yesterday over the nature of her apology, with the BBC feeling she had missed the point in claiming it had all been a joke. She was issued with an ultimatum which said unless she admitted her comments were 'completely unacceptable' she would not return.
Adrian Chiles, left, was in the green room with Carol Thatcher when she used the word 'golliwog'
Friends insisted her remark had been 'misconstrued' - and she has now said sorry. They are also furious that someone had leaked a private conversation.
Conservative MP Phillip Davies, who sits on the media select committee, said: 'Carol's comments are indefensible and if she has caused offence then it is the BBC's right to remove her.
'But, it does seem to me to be the height of double standards. Are the BBC saying that Carol's comments are more offensive than when Jonathan Ross called up a 78-year-old and shouted lewd messages detailing sexual acts with his granddaughter?
'It does seem there is one rule for Ross and another for others.'
Miss Thatcher's spokesman claimed: 'Carol never intended any racist comment. She made a light aside about this tennis player and his similarity to the golliwog on the jam pot when she was growing up. We have bent over backwards to apologise.'
The former I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here star, who lives in Southwark, South East London, said she had not been formally told of the decision to axe her. She also claimed the BBC had 'steered the fuss'.
'If they want to start leaking private conversations, that is their business. It is their crisis, it is not mine,' she said.
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:37 PM on 04th February 2009
Comments (137) Add to My Stories
The Carol Thatcher race row intensified today as attention centred on who leaked her 'golliwog' remark.
Her agent pointed the finger at a member of the production team on BBC's The One Show and suggested that it was part of a vendetta against Baroness Thatcher's daughter.
Comedian Jo Brand, who was a guest on the show, denied that it was her.
The 55-year-old daughter of the former prime minister was axed by the corporation after she refused to apologise for using the term while describing a black tennis player thought to be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Carol Thatcher with show guest Jo Brand on Thursday night's The One Show
Thatcher, a roving reporter for the programme, made her comments during a post-show conversation with presenter Adrian Chiles and several guests including Brand.
Today Thatcher's agent Ali Gunn, asked on Talksport if she believed that this is a personal campaign against Thatcher, said: "That's what I believe, yes. It has been condoned by the producers of the BBC who haven't acted to discipline that member of staff."
Ms Gunn said: "This was a private conversation held in private, amongst individuals in the green room after she Carol Thatcher had been on The One Show.
"At the time nobody objected to that conversation and I wasn't made aware of the conversation until Saturday morning ie 48 hours after the conversation had taken place. Obviously they [the BBC] know what their agenda is and there is certainly an agenda behind this.
"This comment was made in jest afterwards in the green room over a drink and no one objected to it at the time.
"I think it's absolutely outrageous that the BBC has condoned this leak."
She went on: "They haven't even disciplined the member of staff and frankly we issued a fulsome apology that was rejected."
Meanwhile, Tory peer Lord Tebbit weighed into the row, also suggesting the corporation was "taking revenge" on Thatcher's mother.
He said: "It does seem very odd that Jonathan Ross can be back broadcasting having made obscene, insulting remarks on the air, and Carol Thatcher, who said something which is allegedly highly offensive but which I rather doubt was meant to be so, in private, should be banned. It is probably a bit of a way for the BBC to get back at Carol's mother."
The former prime minister's daughter, 55, was dealt with quickly and sternly.
However Ross, 48, who earns £6million a year, was given a three-month suspension without pay and has since returned to work. In addition, the BBC took 11 days to suspend him.
Miss Thatcher used the word golliwog while in the green room with comedian Jo Brand and One Show presenter Adrian Chiles last Thursday.
Brand herself is at the centre of a police investigation over quips she made during Live At The Apollo. She joked that as a result of the British National Party's membership list being made public on the internet, she now knew the addresses where to send the "poo" through the post.
The following day, Simon Darby, the BNP's deputy leader, made an official complaint to police alleging that her comment had been an act of incitement to cause racial harassment.
The green room is TV jargon for the lounge where guests and presenters relax before and after they go in front of the cameras.
Chiles and Brand are understood to have been the only two others in the room. They are said to have challenged her about the comment which then filtered out to the rest of the production team.
The three were talking about the Australian Open tennis tournament, which ended in Melbourne at the weekend.
Miss Thatcher is said to have referred to a black tennis player, understood to be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, noted for his physical resemblance to Muhammed Ali, as a 'golliwog'.
Insiders claim Chiles had been upset at her comments, as have other members of the production team. She was challenged about the remark on Thursday, but only apologised on Monday, dismissing what she said as a joke.
Bitterness deepened yesterday over the nature of her apology, with the BBC feeling she had missed the point in claiming it had all been a joke. She was issued with an ultimatum which said unless she admitted her comments were 'completely unacceptable' she would not return.
Adrian Chiles, left, was in the green room with Carol Thatcher when she used the word 'golliwog'
Friends insisted her remark had been 'misconstrued' - and she has now said sorry. They are also furious that someone had leaked a private conversation.
Conservative MP Phillip Davies, who sits on the media select committee, said: 'Carol's comments are indefensible and if she has caused offence then it is the BBC's right to remove her.
'But, it does seem to me to be the height of double standards. Are the BBC saying that Carol's comments are more offensive than when Jonathan Ross called up a 78-year-old and shouted lewd messages detailing sexual acts with his granddaughter?
'It does seem there is one rule for Ross and another for others.'
Miss Thatcher's spokesman claimed: 'Carol never intended any racist comment. She made a light aside about this tennis player and his similarity to the golliwog on the jam pot when she was growing up. We have bent over backwards to apologise.'
The former I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here star, who lives in Southwark, South East London, said she had not been formally told of the decision to axe her. She also claimed the BBC had 'steered the fuss'.
'If they want to start leaking private conversations, that is their business. It is their crisis, it is not mine,' she said.