Jimmy Savile gave chilling response when Louis Theroux asked outright if he was a paedophile
Jimmy Savile is now known as one of the most prolific paedophiles in the entertainment world, with him only being recognised as such after he passed away at the age of 84.
But nobody knew the gravity of the situation, even when rumours swirled around when he was still alive.
Very few certainly dared to ask the BBC host outright, except the one and only Louis Theroux.
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The documentary-style journalist has met countless celebrities, cult leaders and strange groups around the world as a part of his job, and in 2000 he met Savile as part of his When Louis Met… series.
Having previously called the disgraced DJ his 'childhood hero', Theroux was on a mission to follow him around him various homes across the UK for several months to find out who he was and whether or not the sexual assault allegations were true or false.
Little did he know at this time that it would come to light after his 2011 death that he had used his charitable fundraising to gain access to vulnerable people and children, abusing hundreds for over five decades.
The documentary showed Theroux asking Savile directly about whether or not he was a paedophile and his response? Eerie and awfully evasive.
Savile replied while the duo were driving around: "[We] live in a very funny world. And it's easier for me, as a single man, to say 'I don't like children' because that puts a lot of salacious tabloid people off the hunt.... How do they know whether I am [a paedophile] or not?
"How does anybody know whether I am? Nobody knows whether I am or not. I know I'm not."
What a long-winded way to lie.
During the doc, Savile also showed the filmmaker his strange routine when entering his flat, which he bought for his mother before she died.
He explained that he stayed in the flat with her corpse in an open casket for five days, and said that the pair ‘never argued’.
When he walked into the home, he claimed to always say, ‘all right, darling?’
But this wasn’t the only strange thing about him, as Savile had always proved to be a weird and eccentric character.
However, the severity of his deprivation was only exposed in 2013 after the BBC's Newsnight began an investigation into reports that he was a sexual abuser.
The report which followed detailed 214 criminal offences which took place in hospitals and other areas.
Reflecting on his part in the original documentary during a second in 2016, Theroux said: "I've watched it since the revelations came out and I'm struck by how much is there. It's very far from soft journalism.
"We all knew he was doing some act. He would more or less invite people to believe he had secrets."
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Topics: Louis Theroux, Jimmy Savile, BBC, Documentaries, Crime
Britt Jones