Andrew Billen: Ross needs to grow up | BBC statement in full | Transcript: the offensive calls | Comment Central: what the media is saying | Do 18,000 complaints matter? | Sachs' granddaughter: cruel Brand and Ross

A senior BBC executive has fanned the controversy over lewd phone calls by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross by accusing some critics of voicing fake fury, motivated by jealousy.

Minutes after BBC Director General Mark Thompson attempted to douse the flames with his strongly-worded statement suspending Brand and Ross and accusing them and their producers of "a gross lapse of taste", Radio 1 Newsbeat editor Rod McKenzie wrote a blog on the BBC website claiming that, far from being an open and shut case of Brand and Ross's guilt, large numbers of the public actually supported them.

Media criticism of the broadcasts should be taken with a pinch of salt, claimed Mr McKenzie, in a posting in the Editor's Blog, where senior BBC executives give their insiders' views on news and programming. Some media commentators were simply jealous of Ross's £18 million salary deal with the BBC, or of Brand's high media profile, he implied.

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If Ross ever hoped to succeed Wogan at breakfast, he can dream on

Andrew Billen, chief television critic

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• Brand and Ross: BBC statement in full

• Ross will be back - but he is damaged

• Transcript: 'offensive' calls

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• The media reaction

• Comment Central: do 18,000 complaints matter?

• POLL: has the BBC lost the plot?

“There’s anger: some genuine, some of it synthetic. Some of it comes from the BBC’s usual critics,” Mr McKenzie wrote. “For media folk, profile and salary-envy and schadenfreude (delight in others' suffering) may play a part in all this."

In the broadcast Brand and Ross are heard leaving message after message on 78-year-old actor Andrew Sachs' answerphone, boasting that Brand had had sex with his granddaughter.

The show was prerecorded, and passed by a senior BBC executive as fit to broadcast before it went out on air , in Brand's 9-11pm Saturday night slot on BBC Radio 2.

More than 18,000 people have complained to the BBC since the contents of the show were highlighted in a newspaper article last Sunday, and Gordon Brown and David Cameron have both commented that the Corporation had questions to answer about the controversy.

Mr McKenzie accused critics of of leaping on a bandwagon to attack the BBC.

“How many heard the original transmission and how many are responding to the newspapers’ quotes or others’ arguments?" he demanded.

“I’m not here to defend or attack anyone - but there is an alternative view we are seeing strongly expressed by our young audience which is certainly worth wider consideration.

"Get over it: a fuss about nothing," was typical. Some listeners texted in to point out that Ross and Brand were there to appeal to younger audiences with edgy humour. Not every gag by alternative comics hits the mark, does it? Errors of judgement are surely not a sacking offence? And anyway it was funny, wasn't it?

"The prime minister's intervention amazed some listeners: 'The financial markets are wrecked and all he can do is talk about a petty joke.' Also: 'Everybody needs to calm down'; 'Anybody who thinks it's disgusting should get a grip'; 'Why should they be punished? This is the normal chit-chat of a man'; 'It was funny, a joke. People are so boring'; 'Leave Russell alone'; 'Russell is hilarious'; 'Jonathan Ross is a great presenter'; 'Hey, they are comedians - it's their job'. And the favourite phrase: 'It's been blown out of all proportion.'"

The response from Newsbeat listeners had initially been two to one in their favour, and had now swelled to six to one, he added.

Mr McKenzie's intervention has since caused its own controversy, with commentators on his blog on both sides of the argument - although the ones who disagreed with Mr McKenzie appeared to be in the majority.

"If young people think such foul and tasteless behaviour is acceptable, I suggest it's because their sense of decency has been warped by too much exposure to the likes of Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross," wrote AtheneS.

"By the way, I'm 22. Is that young enough to have an opinion on this? Or do you prefer to take your editorial guidance from 12-year-olds?"

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