Janet Street-Porter 'creeped' by The Reckoning as she knew 'real' Jimmy Savile

10 October 2023 , 12:08

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Janet Street-Porter 'creeped' by The Reckoning as she knew 'real' Jimmy Savile

Loose Women's Janet Street-Porter admits her skin felt creeped out as she tuned into The Reckoning on Monday night.

The broadcaster was discussing the BBC drama with her fellow panellists, Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan and Joanna Page as she recalled meeting the "real" Jimmy Savile during her time at the BBC. Janet, 76, made a name for herself in the journalism industry as well as producing several radio shows – but didn't directly work on any of Savile's.

Actor and comedian Steve Coogan is taking on the role of the vile predator who was exposed as a paedophile, rapist and serial abuser only after his death. While the true extent of his crimes may never be known, Savile was guilty of horrific crimes against teenage girls, young women, younger girls, boys, ill people, disabled people and even the dead.

Janet Street-Porter felt creeped out watching The Reckoning (ITV)

Speaking on Loose Women, Janet said: "I could barely watch it actually because first of all, Steve Coogan is a fine actor, he made a transition from being a comedian to being a really, really fine actor. And of course, years and years ago, I was at the BBC, I appeared on several shows with Jimmy Savile, and I worked as an executive in the night entertainment department where he made many shows. But I never produced any shows with Jimmy Savile.

"So I have met the real Jimmy Savile and the idea that he re-appeared in my living room, that portrayal actually made me and my flesh creep. I felt sick, actually. It had a very, very powerful effect on me."

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The former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! contestant continued: "The dancehall scenes in episode one, of course, I was in those dancehalls, though not up north, I was in Central London, I was those girls that used to dance and of course, there were girls who used to go backstage with the DJ and hung out with the groups and the groupies – everybody knows that."

Savile's vile crimes were fully exposed after his death in 2011 (Getty Images)

But Janet admits she was upset over the BBC drama as it doesn't "add anything" to what the nation already knows about the predator. "What we know now and ignored or didn't want to think about at the time," she said before adding: "What I personally would have preferred if we are going to go right through how did this horrible thing happen and nobody noticed, I would have preferred a documentary."

Ruth added that watching a certain scene in the programme which saw Savile invite two young women back to his home made her skin crawl. Savile died aged 84 in October 2011. Throughout his life, Savile was confronted with several allegations of sexual abuse with the first known case being launched in 1958 – although there was not sufficient evidence.

Following his death, allegations dating back to 1963 were made against him and an official investigation, Operation Yewtree was launched in 2012. In October of the same year, The Met Police said they were looking into 400 enquiries and that the number of alleged victims was around 450.

If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999

Daniel Bird