BBC stars reveal what they'd heard about the demonic Jimmy Savile including the jokes and gossip in celebrity circles
But BBC executives freshly painted in whitewash
BY JON DEAN
Top stars including Sir Terry Wogan, Dame Esther Rantzen and Louis Theroux were quoted in the Dame Smith report released today
Stories of disgraced DJ Jimmy Savile's vile sexual antics were commonly told by a host of BBC stars, a report claims.
An inquiry by Dame Janet Smith, published today, quotes Sir Terry Wogan, Dame Esther Rantzen and Louis Theroux among other celebrities who had heard gossip.
Dame Smith said she had "no doubt that rumours, stories and jokes relating to Savile’s sexual conduct and habits circulated in the BBC over a long period of time".
Here are the details of the tales the stars heard about Savile's sick antics...
Dame Esther heard tales that Savile was sexually interested in young girls.
She was told the people making 'This is Your Life' about Savile wanted to include the parents of a young girl with heart problems for whom Savile had provided financial help.
The parents refused and "the implication was that there was another side to it...a darker side”
Dame Esther's personal experience of him was he was repulsive, because he kissed and licked her hand and up her arm when they met.
Vile: Louis Theroux heard Savile was a necrophiliac.
The documentary film-maker, heard rumours before he joined the BBC Savile was a paedophile and a child molester.
He later heard Savile was a necrophiliac and had a sexual interest in people with disabilities.
Sir Terry Wogan attends the Oldie of the Year awards at Simpsons in the Strand
Rumours: Sir Terry Wogan is said to have heard stories about Savile
The report describes a conversation between Sir Terry Wogan and columnist Jean Rook, in which she asked “When are they going to expose him [Savile]?”
Sir Terry is reported to have replied “That’s your job”.
Tip off: Roger Cook received anonymous allegations
The investigative journalist heard rumours about Savile being sexually interested in “young and old, able-bodied and otherwise”.
In 1980, he received an anonymous letter and telephone call alleging that Savile abused patients at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
He also heard a story about a lady bringing a cake she had baked as a present for Savile to thank him “for all [he’d] done for the youth of this country”.
Savile was having sex with an underage girl in his camper van at the time.
Why did an investigative journalist not investigate the rumours he heard? What did he do with the information he received. Apparently nothing!
Nicky Campbell Disbelief: Nicky Campbell thought the rumours were 'incredible'
The DJ and television presenter, heard rumours that Savile was a necrophiliac but thought it was utterly incredible and regarded it as an urban myth.
Mark Lawson,
BBC journalist Mark LawsonGag: Savile's appetites were the butt of Lawson family jokes
The journalist told the report when his children were young, he and his wife sometimes had difficulty finding a baby sitter.
When they had had a few refusals, it was a family joke that they would say: “Looks like we’re down to Jimmy Savile or Michael Jackson”.
Features dj Mike Read
Tales: Mike Read heard rumours about young ladies
The radio DJ Mike Read heard talk about “Jimmy and his young ladies” while working for BBC Radio 1 but he never gave any thought to what age the expression “young ladies” implied.
Andy Kershaw, Getty ImagesPortrait of music broadcaster Andy Kershaw
Warnings: Andy Kershaw was told Savile was 'nasty'
When Mr Kershaw arrived at the BBC, he was advised to steer clear of Savile because he was “a nasty piece of work”.
He heard stories relating to Savile’s sexual interest in underage girls - for example that he had sex with young teenage girls in his campervan.
Stay away: Savile's parties were off limits according to Mr Stewart
Ed Stewart reportedly told The Sun the Top of the Pops hosts used to warn each other not to go to Savile’s parties because “there were girls of all ages there and you couldn’t be sure how young they were”.
Fleet Street: Andrew Neil heard talk of Savile's activities
TV presenter and journalist Mr Neil said he had heard talk in Fleet Street that Savile was sexually interested in young girls, although the age of the girls was never exactly specified.
He said the gossip was that the girls were underage; they were the kind of girls you might see on Top of the Pops.
Another journalist who did nothing with the information he had.
Dame Smith said: "Most of those who heard rumours about Savile’s sexual life did not appear to have been shocked by them.
"Many seem to have regarded them as amusing.
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| Inquiry: Dame Janet Smith was commissioned to produce the report in 2012 |
"No one to whom we spoke ever thought that he or she ought to report such a rumour to a person in authority."
She added: "I have no doubt that rumours, stories and jokes relating to Savile’s sexual conduct and habits circulated in the BBC over a long period of time.
Dame Janet Smith's £10million inquiry found "certain junior and middle-ranking individuals were aware of Savile's inappropriate sexual conduct in connection with his work for the BBC".
£10million, I thought whitewash was cheaper than that.
But she concluded: "I have found no evidence that the BBC, as a corporate body, was aware of Savile's inappropriate sexual conduct in connection with his work for the BBC."
Dame Janet found that no senior manager at the BBC "ever found out about any specific complaint relating to Savile's inappropriate sexual conduct in connection with his work for the BBC".
The report has been dismissed as an "expensive whitewash" by a lawyer for Savile's victims.
I'm inclined to agree.
Were executives completely out of touch with the BBCs stars? Not likely!
Were middle-ranking individuals never promoted to the upper echelon during this period?
It makes no sense that top executives didn't know something. I would be very surprised if they didn't choose to remain as 'unaware' of Savile's perversions as they could. He was a highly marketable commodity and, after all, most people will sacrifice their morals for success and wealth.
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