Jimmy Saville, longtime BBC employee, raped over 400 children while being paid millions by the BBC
Savile, who was known for hosting the long-running music show Top of the Pops and BBC’s Jim’ll Fix It, died in 2011 at age 84 before his horrific history of sexual abuse came to light.
In the aftermath of his passing, hordes of people came forward claiming that Savile had molested, raped or otherwise abused them.
Allegations against Savile indicate that he sexually violated upwards of 400 people over a 54-year span (1955 to 2009), with his victims ranging in age from 5 to 75.
Investigators were able to corroborate dozens of stories from Savile’s past, and the nation was shocked, left to grapple with the consequences of a man who was never held accountable in his lifetime for generations of trauma.
Now the new documentary, executive produced by David Glover and Mark Raphael, explores the former DJ’s rise to fame, his fall from grace and the powers surrounding him.
Savile began building his career in the mid-1950s, freelancing as a radio host at events around the UK. His humorous style and affability helped him skyrocket in popularity.
In 1958, he became a full-time DJ at Radio Luxembourg, and in 1968, Savile joined BBC Radio 1, where he worked for some 20 years. Eventually, Savile was able to parlay his broadcast skills into lucrative TV-hosting gigs, and he became regarded as a top-tier celebrity interviewer, admired for his unique combination of frivolity and physical comedy.
“He understood that there was a connection you could have with people through a TV screen,” says British TV critic Mark Lawson. “He did have skill as a broadcaster but I’d sort of forgotten about that because of the later depravity.”
Throughout his career, Savile regularly worked with charities for Broadmoor psychiatric hospital, the Duncroft School and the Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
Not only did he raise money, but he also put in hours of time actually helping attendants and orderlies. Broadmoor staff even gave him his own room when he visited.
His charitable work caught the attention of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who praised him publicly and privately and lobbied for him to receive a knighthood.
He received the OBE in 1971 and his knighthood from the Queen of England and from Pope John Paul II in 1990, after which he became Sir James Savile. He was also connected to politicians, police and members of Parliament for decades before he was publicly accused of any abuse.
Note: The arrival of the report three months after the ITV broadcast in which the women made their accusations against Savile. The report is titled “Giving Victims A Voice.” Here are some of its findings:
The victims’ ages at the time of the abuse ranged from 8 to 47.
450 people came forward with information related to Jimmy Savile.
214 crimes were formally recorded, spanning 28 jurisdictions.
The reported abuses occurred between 1955 and 2009, most of them in Leeds and London.
82 percent of those who came forward are female.
73 percent of Savile’s victims were under age 18; 27 percent were adults.
