Ofcom has fined the BBC £150,000 for breaches of the broadcasting code on Russell Brand’s Radio 2 show in October.

An Ofcom statement said: ‘The scale of the fine reflects the extraordinary nature and seriousness of the BBC’s failures and the resulting breaches of the code.

‘The BBC broadcast explicit, intimate and confidential information about Georgina Baillie, the granddaughter of the actor Andrew Sachs in both programmes without their consent. This not only unwarrantably and seriously infringed their privacy but was also gratuitously offensive, humiliating and demeaning.’

Brand resigned from Radio 2 as controversy grew. Jonathan Ross, who also took part in the controversial programme, was suspended by the BBC, but later returned to his Friday evening chat show.