'Jimmy Savile had dark charisma and overwhelming presence at BBC'

29 June 2023 , 21:58

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'Jimmy Savile had dark charisma and overwhelming presence at BBC'

Nicky Campbell has opened up about his past experience of working with disgraced presenter Jimmy Savile while at BBC Radio 1, describing his presence as 'overwhelming'.

The 5 Live presenter, 62, detailed Savile's 'dark charisma' in his Secrets of the Bay City Rollers - a documentary about the Scottish band's rise to fame.

The documentary sees Nicky speak to band member Nobby Clark, who claims the band's manager, Tam Paton, suggested the Rollers should sleep with Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning for more airplay in the 70s.

However, disgraced Denning was later convicted of child sex offences and imprisoned for 13 years following the crimes.

The documentary sees Nicky speak to band member Nobby Clark

And opening up about Radio 1 predator Savile, Nicky detailed how the music station appeared to change through his 'overwhelming' power.

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"I saw Radio 1 started changing around 1993, 1994 properly. But I went into Jurassic Park, really. Part of me was thinking, 'Oh wow, I'm a Radio 1 DJ, it's Top of the Pops and Radio 1 Roadshow!' But another part of me was standing aside from it thinking, 'F***ing hell this is weird.' Sort of observing it," he told OK! Magazine.

Nicky went on to reveal that he did his first Radio 1 photo call with Savile, who later faced hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse after he died in 2011.

"The PR-schtick was that he was leaving and 'Jimmy Savile had fixed it for young Scots DJ', but actually they were getting rid of him from Radio 1. He was joining the World Service.

"I was with him for about two hours, the way he operated and the kind of dark charisma, kissing all the cleaning lady's hand and the commissioners, calling them professor and stuff like that. It was quite overwhelming."

Savile died in 2011 (Getty Images)

Nicky went on to describe the way Savile worked as 'cynical'.

The presenter's hotly-anticipated documentary reviews the incredible success of the Bay City Rollers alongside the predatory behaviour of their manager Tam Paton.

Patron was accused but not convicted of sexual crimes against guitarist Pat McGlynn and was convicted of gross indecency with two teenage boys under the age of consent in 1982 and in 2003.

He was later arrested on child sexual abuse charges however these were dropped.

* 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

Susan Knox