I left off last night at the beginning of the letter story. The two woman who wrote to Theroux in 2000. He says
I went along to meet them for tea in London. They were in their mid-forties. They described their 'relationship' with Jimmy as being 'long' and 'friendly'.
Fifteen years later Theroux decides to take a long hard look at their story 'But knowing everything I know now, some details that they told me seem troubling'
I said to one of them, 'How old were you ?' She said 'You sound like Jimmy, that's the first question he would always ask'
Now, let's stop there for a moment and consider this. Why would Jimmy care, what age his prospective girlfriends, were if he was a predatory rapist ? Just putting that out there, my contention being that he was more than mindful of the age of consent. To me that doesn't tally with accounts of alleged rapes of children in hospitals etc.
Louis continues If you extracted the details it is predatory and inappropriate and unhealthy. In fact, one of them was fifteen when she started the relationship, so it was criminal. But, you've got the friendship and their tone which was to do with affection.
In fact, in those early days JS was involved in multiple sex assaults, some involving children
It's 23 mins in now and here we meet a BBC producer who worked with Jimmy on Clunk Clicck, J Fix it and Top of the Pops. Jill Stribling-Wright is asked if she read the official reports
No, I haven't read them in depth ... I didn't see anything, I mean, I've done various interviews about it and I really didn't see a thing that would give cause for concern. The musicbusiness was like that, sex and drugs and rock and roll. People could get away with stuff, much as they probably still do.
She then explains the fact that she wasn't 'shocked' by the revelations
Theroux baits her with the accumulation of accounts as contained in the reports she barely read, would it have made a difference if she had. Her response is interesting
It seems ... like you're, or, I feel like I'm trying to justify why this happened and why nobody did a thing about it.
Next up, Jimmy visits Theroux at his office at the BBC. You had to be Jimmy Savile to get away with this get up
Louis, didn't bat too many eyelids about those short shorts and string vest
He was dressed inappropriately, his behaviour was borderline-creepy, but at the same time ... I felt this was part of his comin persona
This bit of the show did make me smile, I'd heard so much about Savile's short shorts, he obviously set out to semi-shock folk, to get a reaction. I smiled as he asked the office girls if it was OK for him to change his clothes right there in front of them. Not one of them batted an eyelid, they were so, not interested in him or his attempt at a joke, changing from one string vest to another ! LOL
The whole trip was a performance from a man who's glory days were long over. Sad really
A few minutes later we're back in Scarborough with Louis having another go at an awkward question. Wonder why this was not included in the program at the time
Louis is reading from a letter that's obviously been sent To Jimmy's solicitor following a press attempt to smear his name
Louis - Were you (can't understand words here) your client has agreed not to pursue a claim against this newspaper ?'
Jimmy - That's right, they said I was derogatory to the er, patients, right ? Which I wasn't and they agreed and said, 'we have made a mistake, kindly take this nice few quid'
Louis - That seems a bit rich ... being derogatory to patients given all the money you made' for them
That's why they all pay up
Do they ?
Ooooh Aye !
Next - Cherie
An alleged 'victim' who comes out with a story so preposterous, I start to wonder if Theroux might be working as a double agent, deliberately sabotaging his own journalism. Surely he doesn't believe this crap ? You can read it here, I really cannot be bothered to transcribe what she tells Theroux, save the fact that she defines herself as a 'victim'
Do you really consider yourself a victim - are you happy with that term ?
Er, yeah - I would never let my children watch him on television
https://www.pressreader.com/
Cherie has her own business, and she's uploaded videos to the internet. Here she describes the accident that led to her admission to Stoke Mandeville. Just one of a series of lemons life has managed to throw in her direction ! No mention of jogging men throwing themselves through windows here, but watch it anyways for the LOLZ, she and Clive who was present during Louis interview, are clearly a few sandwiches short of, a few sandwiches !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCxFiE-FsL8
If I was Louis wife I'd be worrying about his mental health, to think he actually be serious in this next bit of the show. Of that bit in When Louis met .. where Louis is surprised that Savile has his address written on a piece of paper. Like Cherie who says Savile must have seen her medical notes, or been told by a doctor, someone in the know, that she was in that room alone, Louis suggests that he too may have been scoped out, maybe friends in high places gave Jimmy his personal information ?
He even asks her -
You think that I was gullible and silly ?
You were young and he was like, 'I'm the celebrity'
What has been difficult is the realisation that I I failed to get to the truth about him.
Cherie - He was so good at disguising everything
Stoke Mandeville ? Burns victim ? All my bells started ringing and as if by magic, Maggie Jervis tweeted this whilst I was busy writing !
I don't know about you guys, but I'm finding Louis Theroux a lot harder to fathom than Jimmy Savile ! What the hell is he up to ? It's clear he's not interested in establishing any facts. WE still don't know when that bloody Clunk Click episode was actually recorded, why didn't he at least, ask the 'walnuttish' one ( you have to watch it to know what I'm talking about here) that bloody question ?
Tomorrow, I'll cover Theroux's meeting with Sylvia Nichol. Dear, lovely Sylvia, who knew Jimmy for more than 40 years and still has a place for him in her heart.
I'll also cover a woman who worked for the Mail on Sunday. What happened during her interview has caused a few ruffled feathers - stay tuned guys and gals
Bless you Sylvia !
BTW, I didn't watch the whole of Cherie and Clive's youtube video, if they do happen to mention jogging men, let me know !
Yes, I've watched it and yes it was bad, but not in the way I thought it might be. Poor Louis, if only he had spent less time in that car and more speaking to people who could have given him so much more. Maybe then he might have woken up feeling good about himself this morning, because I'm pretty sure he didn't.
When Louis got mugged off
OK, here we go ! The first thing that struck me was how small Louis's Jimmy box was - this one !
Goodness gracious, I'd struggle to get a tenth of my Jimmy magazines in that.
Louis begins by explaining his reasons for doing this film
Fifteen years after I first met him and three years after the revelation of his vast offence history, I decided to speak to some of the people who'd known Jimmy Savile, his friends and his victims. I wanted to try to understand how he got away with his crimes for so long, to see what clues there were in hindsight, and make sense of my own failure to recognise him for what he was.
Blimey, that was a tall order you gave yourself Louis, let's see how you did.
Straight to business, the first person Louis interviews is Kat Ward, aka Karin Ward who is described as the first person to speak out after he died. Mmm, no Louis, that would be Meirion Jones, but let's hear what she has to say this time
Of her admission toDuncroft
I was sent there because I was in care in Norfolk and I kept running away.
So, can you remember the first time Jimmy came to the school ? - There was a level of excitement I suppose'
Damn you Louis, you asked her two bloody questions instead of just the one, the one we all wanted her to answer, WHEN did Jimmy first show up at Duncroft - so many lies depend on this answer ! But no, she answered the second one instead
Oh God we'd all get excited about it, or we'd wonder what he's gonna bring this time
And some of the girls would be chosen to take a ride in the rolls ?
They weren't whispers, we talked about it openly. He had mainly been doing a bit of snogging .. and sticking his tongue your throat.
Next, Karin decides to be absolutely honest. To be as fair as I'm willing to be with this bloody woman, this is something she has sort of, said all along.
Now, if I'm absolutely honest with you the abuse I suffered at the hands of JS was nothing compared to what had gone before so ..
From your step father ?
Yeah and my step-father's friends. By the time I was about ten I believed that men were predators.. bullies .. only wanted women for sexual favours
Then back to 1972, 1973 or whenever it was
First time in car he wanted me to fellate him I didn't want to I gave him hand relief (paraphrasing) - second time he said he'd take me to London to his show if I did.
Next, Louis does something strange. He asks her if she watched his documentary back in the day, and what she made of it. She says -
I thought poor Louis, he's really been hoodwinked here. Sorry - ha ha ha ha
NB something's gone wrong with my fonts here. I can't change it back, so bear with me !
Louis exclaims What did I miss, what more could I have done ?
KW - He told us what he was and we didn't see it. Why didn't we see it ?
Back to Louis mea culpa -
The idea that he might have a secret was one of my motivations behind my original documentary. Like many, in my teenage years I heard unsavory rumours about him.
On one of our last days of filming I asked him about the rumours that swelled around him.
Now, here's where me and Louis get it ! You see, when Louis asks him that question the answer he gives is just plain silly. Would Fleet street sewer rats be put off by some silly statement about - not liking kids ?
Louis 'To me that sounds more suspicious in a way' You're damn right Louis, but never mind because apparently the conversation 'hadn't felt like a particulary revealing exchange'to him
Next, there's stuff about the media stuff post 'When Louis met Savile'. Theroux was grateful for the effort Savile had put into the filming, one reason he 'kept in touch' afterwards.
'Our association had lasted a number of years. JS used to boast that he didn't have emotions, but there are many peple who knew him, in friendly ways for decades. I wondered if they might shed light on who he really was'
So, now we meet ONE of the TWO people 'who knew him in friendly ways' - Janet Cope, his secretary for almost 30 years. It's straight into the garage where Mark W-T went four years before.
The next few words out of Louis's mouth did make me smile, get this any friends of Jimmy out there !
'It's been quite hard to find close friends of his to speak now'
'Yeah, he didn't have many close friends, he didn't want anything that weighed him down'
'
LT - He wanted one-way relationships ?'
JC - He controlled things, not in a nasty way
Louis fastens on a card sent to her by Savile signed Jimmy 'Loves Janet'
JC - 'He loves me because I'm convenient'
No, I didn't love him !
Next he asks her about his earlier film, that night Savile slept in the campervan instead of the hotel.
'Poor old louis, he believes him'
'Cos he's a good liar'- the number of marathons he did changed every time he was asked etc. Strewth, Louis, could you have at least found a friend who at least, like the man ?
Did you feel he had any sexual interests ?
I used to tell people he was assexual cos people were always accusing him of being gay, and he wasn't gay but he wasn't craving female closeness.
Then, of the time he sacked her, she'd asked him
Jim, why have you done this to me. I've lied for you ... but all he said was 'todays today, tomorrow's tomorrow, I've got a train to catch.
He didn't understand people's feelings ... they weren't important to him'
Poor Janet, Louis concludes 'Janet too has been used by Jimmy Savile'
Next, we're back in 2000, in Scarborough, in Jimmy's mother's room when Louis asked him another awkward question.
You mean you never had a girlfriend ?
Friends that are girls. seven million, but GF in the sense of today that is, you are together, you don't bother with anybody else etc, NO ! NEVER !! NEVER !!!
Back to 2016 and Louis tells us about those two women who contacted him in 2000, describing themselves as girlfreinds of Jimmy's.
Now, remember what Jimmy said guys and gals. He did NOT say he did not have girl friends, he said he didn't have an exclusive girlfriend. Anyone out there getting my drift ? I'm sure Louis did at the time, and probably still does, but hey ho !
The Letter
Contrary to what Jim would like you to believe, Jim did have girlfriends, not girlfriends who were just friends. We were two of them. All Jim's girlfriends knew each-other. There was never jealousies, we are friends to this day.
To be continued !
