Armando Iannucci said the only joke he was forced to drop from Malcolm Tucker's rants was "That's as inevitable as what they'll find in Jimmy Savile's basement when he dies!"

The BBC wasn't so much protecting Savile as protecting itself. Liz MacLean fought like stink to get the story of the abused girls out. She didn't do it for her career - in fact as that piece demonstrates it harmed her career. But she wanted those girls to have their story told.

It may be wrong to speculate but I wonder if the stress contributed to her death from a stroke at such a ridiculously young age? She wasn't just over ridden by her editors at the BBC which is bad enough. She was shunned by colleagues and that is incredibly painful. It all stinks of don't rock the boat. Who cares about those girls when the reputation of the nation's broadcaster is at stake.

It's kind of astonishing …….

Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service on BBC 6Music had a whole section on Savile just after he died including a humorous rundown of his top ten catchphrases. And in at number five, it’s ‘Now then, guys and gals.’

From today's Guardian - the story of just how reluctant the BBC was to go public:

So the first swirling rumours and claims, even while the BBC and papers were promoting hagiographies of the man, were curses toward him from his actual victims on social media.

Sorry, this episode is not currently available:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016z0ns

Fancy that!

Within a few weeks of Savile’s death, MacKean had collected on-the-record testimony from 10 women who had been at Duncroft. Seven had been abused and three had witnessed abuse by Savile. It had been difficult to convince them to go public. Some told her they worried they would be seen as complicit; they were sure they wouldn’t be believed. Some feared a backlash, that people would claim they were out for something: compensation, notoriety.

Prince Andrew's lawyers pointed out that his alleged victim got £160k off the Mail for that photo of her and the prince together.

I just reread the first three dozen posts on here from the day he died. That’s how much of a surprise all this should have been.

Tut tut Diggy. Have you forgotten!? The very worst crime - THE worst crime - you can commit in this country is to embarrass the establishment.

Heh, I’ve just re-read the beginning of the thread too! This made me laugh:

Leftie - 29 Oct 2011 16:43:41 ( #60 of 17135)

I bet The Guardian are relieved they closed The Talk. It'd be a nightmare having him die at the weekend with no moderators.

You can't libel the dead.

shadwell - about 10 years ago ( #136 of 17136) From comments on the DM

I think Abdullah Ibrahim Mohammed al Saleemi Bisha Mohammad's warm tribute said it for all of us:

Nice to see ya to see ya!!!

Bensawbridge - 29 Oct 2011 15:16:49 ( #20 of 17138)

I once saw him eating a fuddruckers burger with his mother

Whither DorianJHawkback at #79:

DorianJKHawkwack - 29 Oct 2011 18:58:10 ( #79 of 17139)

Something very wrong with Jimmy Savile.

My ex was a nurse at Leeds General, and lived in Roundhay not far from him. She said the rumours about him and cadavers were rife, and nobody trusted him. He worked as a porter (voluntary) but he gave everyone the creeps.

I spent one boring day on a train with him up to Glasgow and back filming a BR ad back in the 80s. He was someone who couldn't hold a conversation at all. All he did was talk: either about himself, or make some naff joke. What a tedious, tedious old twat he was.....



Everyone has a sexual outlet. I dread to think what his must have been.

Looking forward to the TV film of his life. My bet is it'll outshine Kenneth Williams and Frankie Howard as all the dirt comes out at last...

Rumours about Savile had been going round Leeds for decades.

poorsod - 30 Oct 2011 01:28:23 ( #167 of 17140)

Gosh. On the BBC website, nearly 50% of the comments posted have been deleted by the mods for one reason or another.

I remember asking somewhat rhetorically if he'd ever had consensual sex...

Back on Coogan for a sec, I really rather enjoyed "Saxondale", but I can't think of much else where he successfully amused.

I liked that too. There was something about his vocal mannerisms and overall wryness that I found strangely familiar from a few non-classical old muso types I've known.

There seemed to be a type of honesty in there.

It felt less artificially frenetic, and more... heartfelt?

And of course the music...

And Morwenna Banks being brilliant. That 'did she or didn't she see our sex tape' scene....