Louis Theroux and Jimmy Savile - "It's Only Obvious if You Know the Answer"

Am I jumping on a bandwagon here by posting about this? Probably, but I write when I have something to say, so I'll say it. Firstly, I was not impressed by today's Daily Fail piece on the "Savile" documentary by Louis Theroux last night, with the headline containing the words "viewers left sickened by....". This piece was adding to the voices of those who imagined that Louis should have seen Savile for exactly what he was, and acted like some kind of hero back in the early 2000s, doing what no-one else had been able to do, and help bring Savile to justice.

It's on record that Louis did report to the BBC that he had seen Savile acting inappropriately with a young woman in a restaurant, but nothing was done about it. How exactly would Louis have been able to help bring Savile down anyway, even if he had been fully aware of exactly the type of monster he was dealing with? The Jangly Beast had evaded police prosecution, had a history of being litigious, and he had obtained Louis' private home address for goodness sake! He also had many friends in high places. What could Louis have done that no-one else was able to do?

It's easy to be an expert with the benefit of hindsight. It's easy to say "Oh I always knew Savile was a wrong 'un and I hated 'Jim'll Fix It'". For some people that statement is genuinely true. But "Jim'll Fix It" had millions of viewers and ran for about 20 years, with no shortage of people writing in and asking for their dreams to be made reality. If the amount of people who say they hated it, really did, then surely it wouldn't have stayed on the air. Let's face it, whilst in later years most of us thought Savile eccentric, we were duped. There's no shame in admitting that. It's on him, not on us. A psychopath might give clues which, with hindsight, were obvious, but generally they are very good at covering their tracks.

Plenty of us have known people who we later found out were capable of horrible things. I myself worked with a man years ago in a well known Irish bank, and he seemed a lovely man. Very mild mannered and inoffensive. A family man. Imagine my shock when, years later, I was reading the paper on my lunch hour in another job, and saw that man's face on one of the pages, with an article underneath it reporting that he had committed suicide because he'd been prosecuted for having child porn on his computer.

As Louis Theroux himself said in the documentary last night "Evil people can do good things". Savile knew how to charm people. I can remember even feeling a bit sorry for Savile in the original documentary, aired back in 2001, as he didn't seem to have any real friends and lived a very solitary life. I even found it funny when he was evading Louis' questions and saying "He's on the ropes!".  I can understand how he must have charmed Louis. Even though Louis had heard unsavoury things about Savile, along with so many others, that is not the same as having proof. Savile was too well connected to be touched anyway. If police forces couldn't bring him down (it's known that he was a suspect in the Yorkshire Ripper case, for instance) , what chance had anyone else got? So for people who pick out various BBC personalities and say that it's all very well admitting after his death that they'd heard the rumours - well what could they have done about it exactly? He would have still gotten away with it even if they reported him. However it came to be that way, the fact was, he was untouchable because of whoever and whatever he was involved with, and there wasn't a hope in hell he was going to be brought down because it would have implicated too many others in high places. Same as another celebrity, still living, that I believe will not be touched until after his death, when it will all come out.

And yes, I liked "Jim'll Fix It". I liked Jimmy Savile as a presenter. And, as hard and horrific as it is to admit it, I thought he seemed good with children and was the best person for the show. I watched things he also presented like "Play It Safe" as well. I'd enjoy it when he'd turn up as a "talking head" on retrospective programmes. In his later years he seemed ever more eccentric, and became more embarrassing, and this did also come across in Louis' original documentary on him. But no, I won't try to sound more perceptive than I actually was, and pretend that I was never hoodwinked by him, because I was. And I don't think there is any shame in me, or anyone else, being in that predicament. A paedophile and psychopath is not going to advertise it are they, except to those they actually abuse. Sure, they'll give clues, and tell us what they are sometimes, but we'll laugh and dismiss it as a joke until it's all come out in the open.

It was before his death that I was told, by a friend of a friend on FB, to Google Savile and Jersey. I did, and then.... well, then I knew. So the revelations after his death were not a surprise to me, except for the sheer scale of his crimes. Since then, I've come to believe, partly from the research done by my friend Thomas Sheridan, that Savile was more of a monster than most people would ever or could ever countenance. Here is a blog to start you all off with, if you want to go down that route, and do search out Thomas' other work on Savile.

So Louis Theroux, I believe, did a good job in the original documentary, and in last night's one. He did what he could do, with the knowledge and perception that he had. Yes, he was charmed to a certain extent (that's on Savile, not on Louis). He is human, not psychic. What is obvious now was not obvious then. So keep on being a brilliant documentary maker Louis - be proud, not guilty.

A Stroke of Luck!

Well well well, look at this article in The Mirror!  

How fortuitous for the BBC that such an article would appear, and that the police have referred themselves (yes, referred themselves, fancy that!) for investigation. The legal proceedings which Tony has allegedly brought against the BBC may now be delayed, and the public support which Tony has, may suffer a slight dent (only amongst the dim, so no great loss) as some of them wonder "What if it was covered up because there was something in it?". This is probably exactly what the BBC wants people to wonder, of course. Anything to detract from the fact that one of the most prolific and depraved sex offenders, and possibly worse, worked for them, seemingly unchecked, for many years.  The vast majority of people are clued in, much to the BBC's chagrin, probably, about what kind of man Tony Blackburn is, and legions of people can attest to his propriety and professionalism. 

So yes, the police referred themselves for investigation, eh? Remember Tony was interviewed on BBC Radio 4 and said that if there was an allegation at the time, then he indeed should have been investigated? Well, how kind of the police to kindly oblige, all these years later. I can just imagine the big bosses at the BBC: "Oh you think there should have been an investigation? Well now you'll get one alright! See how smug you feel about your legal action and your public support now!". 

The Mirror article is so carefully worded - one can just imagine their lawyers going through it to ensure clearance for publication. It would be laughable if it wasn't a 73 year old man's life, family and livelihood being affected. And for what? His recollection of events being different from the BBC's. 

Other broadcasters such as Iain Lee, Danny Baker, and Martin Kelner also know what it's like to be treated shoddily by the BBC, so Tony is not alone. They will probably recognise this new development for what it most likely is, too.

"Awful Auntie" and Tony Blackburn

Regrettably, this is not a review of the excellent David Walliams’ book, which my children adore, but some reflections on the bizarre situation in which Tony Blackburn has found himself with the BBC, which was affectionately known in years gone by, as Auntie.  Right now, however, amongst the public, media, and Tony’s fellow broadcasters, there is about as much affection for the BBC as a Rottweiler would have for someone who tried to touch his food.  I apologise to all Rottweilers for mentioning the BBC in the same sentence as them.

“There once was a DG called Hall;

Who needed someone to take a fall;

He picked on poor Tony;

But the public were moany;

Now DG has no job at all.”

Oh how I’d love for the above to come true!

How convenient for the BBC, that just as the Dame Janet Smith Savile report, surprise surprise, concluded that top level management at the BBC did not know about Savile’s atrocities (Come on, did you really expect any other finding? Really?  If so, then you’re very naïve.), that our focus should be taken off the actual conclusion by the bizarre sacking of a legendary broadcaster. 

Tony and the BBC are at odds regarding whether or not he was interviewed in 1971 regarding Claire McAlpine by BBC management staff.  He says he wasn’t; they say he was.  From what I know of the man, I believe that he would have answered honestly, whatever questions were put to him.  I can easily imagine pressure being put on him to change his answers so that they tallied with the BBC’s version, but he was adamant that the interviews did not take place. Even if it were to turn out he was mistaken (and somehow I think he’d remember something as important at the time as that), I still don’t believe that would be a good enough reason to sack him.

As much of a fan of Tony’s as I’ve always been, even I have been surprised at just how much outpouring of support there has been for him.  There’ll always be a few morons who’ll spout accusatory, poorly-spelled comments, but they really have been few and far between.  The vast majority see the situation as outrageous and totally unjust.  “Civilians” and celebrities alike have been united in expressing their utter disgust and disbelief.

The allegations made in 1971 were not the issue, but it is worth mentioning that even memos from that year show that the BBC felt it would have been totally out of character (doubt they ever felt that about Jimmy Savile) for him to have behaved in the way the allegations said he did, and that it was highly unlikely there was any substance to the claims. The internet has also been rife, since the revelation of his sacking, with people who’ve spent time in his presence when younger, saying how safe they felt with him, and that he didn’t act in a sleazy manner.  In his autobiography “Poptastic” (highly recommended by the way), I distinctly remember him mentioning how he used to prefer to date people closer to his age and didn’t bother with much younger women.

Tony Blackburn had been one of the celebrities helping publicise the campaign to “Save Our BBC”.  He could be forgiven right now for wishing for the complete opposite.  Between Radio 2, Radio Berkshire and Radio London, three BBC stations had the benefit of listeners drawn in by Tony.  He had made a phenomenal success of “Pick of the Pops” .  It’s very hard to see how the BBC think they will recover listenership figures which will inevitably go down, at least for those time slots, first of all simply because Tony won’t be on those stations with his second-to-none DJ-ing skills, but also because fans have sworn they will now boycott these stations.

The BBC have made themselves a laughing stock and scored a spectacular own goal with this action.  They have shown themselves to be completely out of touch with the public.  Tony Blackburn elicits much respect and affection which the other Tony, BBC Director General Mr Hall, never has, and never will. “Awful Auntie” has seriously messed up, and will pay dearly for this mistake.  They failed regarding Savile, the serial sex offender and possibly worse (google Thomas Sheridan’s writings on Savile – that’s all I’ll say), and have been floundering in the dark desperately trying to rectify their image ever since.  Sorry Mr Hall, it’s too late.  No-one else from the celebrity stable can or should pay for Savile, and especially not Tony Blackburn. There will no doubt be a smear campaign by the BBC to make Tony look guilty.  It's started already.  But that will give Tony even more ammunition to get them with in court, and the smart amongst us won't fall for the propaganda. Go get ‘em Tony xx

Light At The End of the Tunnel

What you're going through is temporary. It WILL get better. In the meantime think of all your blessings. You have people who love you. You have a beautiful soul and bestowed upon you is knowledge and a depth of feeling which many do not have. You know many beautiful secrets. You are a survivor. You kick ass. You have proven it time and time again.


Whatever you worry may happen, it will not be nearly as bad as you think it will be. Things will work out for good. Right now you feel you're not living, just existing. You want to be thriving and enjoying life again. Enjoy these quieter moments life has forced upon you. Use the opportunity to just "be" and nourish your soul. I promise you, you will not lose out on anything. You will come back stronger and what is meant to happen, the very best for you, will happen.


Don't let anyone or anything take away your inner peace. It may be disturbed for a while but never lose the essence of you. You are a powerful force. Look at what you have come through thus far!

Live moment by moment - it will all be ok, even in the midst of the most lousy storm. I promise. How do I know? Because I've been there several times. It's always ok. We are made of strong stuff :) But we're being looked after xx