Last Podcast on the Left – Episode 659:

Jimmy Savile Part II: The Devil Behind the Curtain

Podcast: Last Podcast On The Left
Date: April 10, 2026
Hosts: Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski, Ed Larson

Brief Overview

This episode delves deep into the middle period of Jimmy Savile’s life—from his meteoric rise as a pioneering British media figure to the methods he used to hide his crimes in plain sight, and his horrifyingly prolific abuse through multiple institutions. The trio dissects how Savile weaponized his public persona, charity work, and relationships with powerful entities to evade justice while documenting the widespread complicity that allowed his crimes to flourish for decades. Balancing the unsettling content with their trademark dark humor, the hosts draw connections between systemic social failures, media enabling, and the psychology of ongoing abuse.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. The Camouflage of Charity: Savile's Relationship with His Mother ("The Duchess")

Timestamp: 04:01–09:51

• In 1963, as allegations began surfacing, Savile increased his public appearances with his domineering mother, using her as an image-booster.
• “I started bringing my mother around with me because nobody doubts a guy that brings his mother around.” (Henry, quoting Savile – 06:01)
• The hosts riff on the tradition of "momagers" and compare Savile's tactic to Liberace and Barry Manilow hiding their private lives behind doting affections for their mothers.
• Savile's manipulation of perceptions: “People wanted to believe that Jimmy Savile was a good man.” (Marcus, 09:51)

2. Top of the Pops: Power, Image, and Opportunity

Timestamp: 10:04–18:35

• Savile becomes host of BBC’s Top of the Pops (1964), embedding himself as a youth culture icon while standing out as “the world’s oldest teenager.”
• His bizarre costumes and clownish persona made him a memorable figure but masked his predatory access to teen audiences.
• “Making Savile the host of a show with a live teenage audience was putting the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons.” (Marcus, 16:54)
• Frequent, brazen sexual assaults occurred in studio, often with Savile selecting girls directly from the audience or luring them to his backstage quarters.
• “He did his crimes out loud…he is unashamed and he believes he’s entirely above any form of reproach.” (Henry, 36:19)

3. Connections and Complicity: Police, Media, and Assistants

Timestamp: 28:20–36:29

• Police officers made social visits to Savile’s apartment and participated in his parties, often with underage girls present.
• Reporters witnessed abuse but failed to report, feeling complicit or overwhelmed by the institutional backing Savile had.
• “Who would believe that Jimmy Savile…could be such a brazen monster?” (Marcus, 34:02)
• Savile’s assistants, like DJ Dave Eager, actively helped procure victims and cover up the ages of the girls.

4. Expanding the Predator’s Scope: From Tour Buses to Hospitals

Timestamp: 38:21–57:22

• Savile leveraged charity stunts—like working in coal mines after disasters or raising money for hospitals—to secure his "saintly" image.
• He infiltrated elite mental hospitals (Broadmoor, Rampton), children's facilities, and institutions under the guise of social work and fundraising.
• “He was positioning himself to use the UK’s National Health Service, hospitals, and facilities as his own personal pedophile sweet shops.” (Marcus quoting a victim, 57:22)
• Gained unrestricted access (keys, quarters on site) at multiple facilities, further broadening his pool of vulnerable victims.

5. Institutional Abuse and Necrophilic Allegations

Timestamp: 68:18–85:47

• At Broadmoor and Rampton, Savile was given official titles, free reign, and allowed to be alone with patients—many of whom were severely mentally ill or disabled.
• “He was holding court…talking to [other pedophiles] closer than he would talk to the patients or staff.” (Henry, 76:02)
• Stories shared of Savile participating in, and perhaps facilitating, “workshops” with other abusers/patients.
• At Stoke Mandeville Spinal Injury Centre, where many victims were paralyzed, Savile was infamous for transporting corpses and is strongly suspected of necrophilia. “Necrophilia was not illegal in the UK until 2003…they legitimately were like, ‘Yeah, sure, we have it on the docs and stuff, but necrophilia essentially doesn’t happen in the UK.’ And I would argue it happens there the most.” (Henry, 85:47)

6. Duncroft Approved School for Girls: Controlled by Candy, Cigarettes, and the BBC

Timestamp: 89:35–98:50

• Duncroft was an exclusive institution for “inconvenient” upper-crust girls; Savile manipulated these vulnerabilities by trading attention, gifts, and access to the BBC in return for sexual favors—the infamous “Jimmy Specials.”
• “If a girl didn’t care about cigarettes or records, Jimmy had a far more insane, insidious tactic. He’d tell the girl that if she didn’t give a Jimmy Special, he’d tell all the other girls that she’d ruined it for everyone…” (Marcus, 97:37)
• Cat Ward, a former Duncroft girl, was the first to publish her experience online, setting off the eventual expose.

7. Media, Royal Influence, and the Mechanics of Evasion

Timestamp: 99:09–115:10

• Even as rumors and evidence swirled, Savile’s TV and radio career flourished with new programs like Speakeasy and Clunk Click, and he befriended members of the British Royal Family (with one story of Prince Charles laughing at Savile’s public sexual behavior).
• Abuse was common knowledge among staff, drivers, and even BBC clergy, but no action was taken.
• The BBC actively stonewalled investigations and shifted blame onto victims, with Savile himself admitting to some (legal) relationships to obscure his greater crimes.
• “He would change the context of anything, saying that the girls were of legal age and that the parents knew and approved. And if he had done something truly awful, then surely the media would have reported it, right?” (Marcus, 114:54)

8. Pedophile Networks & Complicit Power Structures

Timestamp: 116:12–121:56

• Savile forged connections with other abusers, such as Scarborough mayor and ice cream baron Peter Giaconelli, expanding his access to vulnerable youths through their institutional powers.
• Focuses on how abuse rings were sustained in plain sight through club activities (e.g., judo) and child-focused events.

9. Psychological Profile & Mother’s Death

Timestamp: 121:56–126:26

• The death of Savile’s mother (“The Duchess”) is explored both psychologically and logistically—Savile kept her body with him for five days and her possessions for decades.
• “She belonged to him and him only during those five days, that death was a wonderful thing.” (Marcus, 122:51)
• Links made to Ed Gein, other serial killers, and Savile’s narcissistic delusions of moral exceptionality.

10. Systemic Reflection

Timestamp: 127:36–128:47

• The hosts reflect on how the story of Savile is a chilling blueprint for institutional abuse, complicit enablers, and societal denial.
• “You’re looking at the face that, you know, you’re looking at a creep and you are bald faced, locked into dealing with the creep—because they suck at the very marrow of your dreams.” (Henry, 128:36)
• Callout for supporting independent media and encouraging scrutiny of power.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On hiding in plain sight:
  “We all are safe to assume he’s kidding…if there was one person that told you every single crime that he ever did, it’s Jimmy Savile.” (Henry, 06:17)

• Predators’ “Cheekiness” as Disguise:
  “People can wave off all manner of horrible things by calling it cheeky—locker room talk, as it’s been said here in America.” (Marcus, 49:11)

• On BBC complicity:
  “As long as [Savile] showed up where he was supposed to and kept delivering ratings, the BBC was criminally hands-off.” (Marcus, 47:06)

• On hospital access:
  “Once Savile gained the trust of a hospital or a facility, he was often given keys so he could come and go as he pleased.” (Marcus, 62:36)

• On psychological manipulation:
  “If you isolate somebody, you can control the entire narrative. If you let them talk to other people, they might figure out that what’s going on is really fucked up.” (Marcus, 45:33)

• Comparing Savile to other serial killers:
  “If a man can be compared to several serial killers, then that makes a pretty good argument for his inclusion on the Mount Rushmore of evil.” (Marcus, 124:16)

Major Timestamps for Important Segments

• Savile’s PR with his mother: 04:01–09:51
• Top of the Pops & sexual abuse on set: 10:04–18:35, 16:54 description of his backstage conduct
• Enablers: police, reporters, assistants: 28:20–36:29
• Hospitals and institutional access: 38:21–62:36
• Broadmoor & other hospitals: 68:18–79:36
• Necrophilia at Stoke Mandeville: 80:42–85:47
• Duncroft Approved School for Girls: 89:35–98:50
• Coverups & BBC stonewalling: 99:09–115:10
• Partnering with other abusers in Scarborough: 116:12–121:56
• Psychological deconstruction/mother’s death: 121:56–126:26
• Reflections on institutional abuse: 127:36–128:47

Tone & Style

• The episode features a relentless, irreverent dark humor that aims to maintain levity for the hosts and listeners while dealing with the grim subject.
• The hosts adopt an incredulous, angry tone towards Savile’s enablers and the broader British (and media) culture that let his crimes go unchecked.
• There’s open empathy for victims, but also honest, unflinching commentary on the structural failures that allowed Savile to flourish.
• Frequent offbeat and pop culture references are used to punctuate the difficult narrative and make the content digestible.

Summary

This episode of Last Podcast on the Left traces, with visceral detail and biting dark comedy, how Jimmy Savile was able to commit horrific sexual violence for decades. By manipulating public perceptions, leveraging charity, and cultivating institutional complicity (from police to broadcasters to hospital administrators), Savile became the “devil behind the curtain”—hiding acts of monstrous predation in the open. The hosts catalogue the breadth of his abuse, the system’s tolerance and coverup, and the social psychology of mass denial. The portrait painted is one of chilling normalcy enabling evil, leaving listeners eagerly awaiting the final chapter of the series.