Podcast Summary

Behind the Bastards – Part Two: Jimmy Savile: Britain's Unending Nightmare

Date: April 16, 2026
Host: Robert Evans
Co-hosts: Courtney Kosak, Sophie Lichterman
Podcast Network: Cool Zone Media / iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode (part two in a series on Jimmy Savile) explores the unchecked rise and predatory behavior of Jimmy Savile in mid-20th century Britain. Robert Evans (host) guides the discussion with Courtney Kosak and Sophie Lichterman, examining how Savile's media career flourished amidst his widespread, well-known sexual abuse of teenage girls (and later, boys), and how British cultural, legal, and institutional structures aided in his protection. The episode uses direct accounts, historical context, and testimony from witnesses and victims to outline the deeply disturbing normalization, cover-up, and complicity surrounding Savile’s crimes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Savile’s Early Media Career and Cultural Context

• Ascent to Fame: After failing as a cyclist, Savile found a niche commentating on bike races for the Daily Express, marking his entry into the media (04:33–05:12).
• The BBC Monopoly: At the time, the BBC was the sole legal radio broadcaster in the UK, serving as "cultural gatekeepers" (05:12–08:00).
• Rise of Youth Culture: The late 1950s–1960s saw teenagers become a new demographic with purchasing power, causing anxiety among the older generation—particularly over music and youth gatherings (08:00–09:00).
• Savile as an Outsider: Despite the BBC's stuffy classism, Savile, a “working-class man from Leeds” with eccentric fashion (blazers with lace cuffs, masks), became a teen favorite, using his persona to deflect suspicion (09:36–11:21).

“If you just show up dressed like a maniac and pretend like you’re a normal person… that gets you more attention.” — Robert Evans [10:15]

2. Manipulation, Control, and Early Warning Signs

• Savile’s Teen Appeal: He built rapport with teenagers by adopting their slang and interests — conveniently, teenage girls were his main social circle and victims (11:22–12:19).
• Sociocultural Cover: The adult establishment was relieved Savile could “control” the “scary” new teen demographic, ignoring the warning signs (12:19–13:54).
• Early DJ Innovator: Savile was a pioneer in pop DJ culture — one of the first in the UK to use dual turntables and play recorded music at dance halls (14:25–15:18).
• Violence and Security: He was always flanked by large bouncers, both to project control at events and to protect himself from angry parents (15:31–16:50).

“He wanted a bunch of scary big guys around him because he’s fucking a bunch of teenagers and their parents get angry.” — Robert Evans [15:38]

3. Normalization of Abuse and Predatory Behavior

• Under-Age Relationships: Even by the standards of the time, it was considered “weird” that Savile only pursued teenage girls, sometimes as young as 15 or younger (16:50–18:45).
• Accounts from Victims: Example of Kathy Kirby, who at 17 had sex with Savile due to industry pressures, while he simultaneously pursued her 15-year-old sister (16:57–18:45).
• Power and Coercion: Savile used his access to pop stars as leverage for sexual favors, often described euphemistically in accounts of his venues (23:26–23:40).
• Venue as Hunting Ground: Dance halls like the Mecca and later the Top Ten Club became regular sites for Savile’s predation, often targeting girls under 16 via venue staff complicit in ignoring or facilitating underage attendance (43:49–47:18).

4. Institutional Enablers and Systemic Complicity

• Media and BBC: The BBC not only gave Savile power but also actively recruited underage girls to shows like Top of the Pops for on-screen “sex appeal,” serving both audience and predator (47:18–48:44).
• Public, Police, & Press: Residents, police, and press were aware of Savile’s behavior by the late 1960s. Investigations were spiked at publications like People magazine because Savile was profitable for them (59:14–60:14).
• Complicity Among Law Enforcement: Savile’s primary adult male associates were police. Many were on his payroll or complicit because of the sexual access he provided. Officers intervened to prevent legal actions against him (61:04–62:43).

“Because it was well known that were I to go, I would probably take half the station with me.” — Jimmy Savile, as cited in his 1974 autobiography about police complicity [62:08]

5. Methods of Manipulation and Camouflage

• Outrageous Persona: Savile’s bizarre fashion and behavior (“tricky, not clever”) served as a deliberate cloak for predation (32:00–34:09).
• Selective Abuse: He avoided molesting every girl in his orbit, so many would vouch nothing happened, providing cover (32:33–34:09).

“I never, ever thought that I was clever. Tricky, yes. I’m a very tricky fella. But tricky is much better than being clever. If you are clever, you can slip up … but if you’re tricky, you don’t slip up.” — Jimmy Savile, interview [34:03]

6. Escalation, Public Knowledge, and Systemic Failure

• Public Requests for “Honor Guards”: Savile demanded teenage girls for “guard of honor” duty at public events, which was reported openly in the press and condoned by local authorities (51:17–56:00).
• Drug and Alcohol Use: While not much of a user himself, Savile often got girls drunk to facilitate abuse (56:04–56:16).
• Pregnancies and Aftermath: The episode retells a harrowing account (with multiple allusions to many more) in which a 16-year-old girl was raped, impregnated, and forced into an abortion after Savile’s abuse — a fate likely shared by hundreds of underage victims (63:23–65:26).
• Social Reaction: Despite being “open secrets,” these actions were kept from prosecution or censure, allowing Savile to continue, celebrated and protected, well into his public career and through major honors. Legal authorities, media, and even the royal family become implicated as the story progresses.

7. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We didn’t have this word pedophile in them days. We had the word weirdo. And Savile was a weirdo.” — Jimmy Donnelly, as recalled to biographer Dan Davies [30:55]
• “I’ll take you and you and you. The rest of you come back another time. You might get lucky.” — Savile to girls after his wrestling matches [36:36]
• “If I arrive at the gates of heaven and St. Peter says you’ve been a very tricky man, you can’t come in here, I’ll break his thumbs.” — Jimmy Savile, wrestling magazine interview [38:56]
• “If they [the Rolling Stones] lived or died, it wouldn’t have mattered to me.” — Jimmy Savile, on threatening performers [51:01]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Savile’s Media Break & British Youth Culture: 04:34–11:22
• Early Predation and Venue Management: 12:19–16:50
• Accounts of Abuse & Societal Norms: 16:50–20:37
• DJ Innovations & Club Culture: 14:25–15:26
• Manipulation of Pop Fans, “Groupie Fixer”: 22:00–24:00, 29:10–31:54
• Police Complicity: 61:04–62:43
• Pregnancy and Rape Testimony: 63:23–65:26
• “Guard of Honor” at Civic Event: 51:17–56:00

Tone, Language, and Reflection

The hosts maintain a blend of biting satire, mounting outrage, gallows humor, and grim historical context. They denounce Savile’s actions unambiguously, but regularly remark on the persistent societal and institutional failings that allowed his abuses to go unchecked, with Courtney offering visceral reactions and Robert maintaining a fact-heavy narrative.

“What a slippery little fuck. What a little grimy little—” — Courtney Kosak [34:25]
“It’s hard to hear. But it happened. And, like, we can’t ignore that these types of things had to happen to so many people, but… wow.”— Courtney Kosak [65:26]

The episode ends with the promise that the story will become even more distressing as they cover Savile’s intersection with the British elite and wider systemic corruption in upcoming parts.

Conclusion

This installment provides a thorough, unflinching look at how Savile leveraged fame, institutional cowardice, and social taboos to facilitate widespread, decades-long abuse, with his predation enabled by the very people and systems entrusted to protect children. The series is positioned to continue its exploration into higher echelons of power—including the police, BBC hierarchy, and the royal family—that perpetuated and protected Savile’s crimes.

Further Listening:

• Next: Part Three, covering his 1970s/1980s peak and royal connections
• Earlier: Part One, covering Savile’s childhood and formative years