Jimmy Savile abuse survivor speaks out after seeing Steve Coogan’s dramatisation
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One of the survivors of Jimmy Savile's abuse has spoken out about the BBC's dramatisation of his crimes.
The Reckoning stars Steve Coogan as the disgraced paedophile DJ.
You can watch the trailer here:
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The series has divided many people, with some arguing it's simply too soon to be creating fictional work about someone so evil.
Others, however, have shared their excitement at seeing Coogan's approach to the role.
But now, a woman who was sexually abused by Savile has had her say on the series.
Sam Brown was just 11-years-old when the television presenter, who died in 2011, assaulted her in the presbytery of Stoke Mandeville Hospital chapel.
Ms Brown had already suffered abuse at the hands of her grandfather, as well as a doctor, and she believes Savile could sense that she was vulnerable.
“I was already so damaged," she recalled. "I was an easy pick.”
The 56-year-old, who contributed to the series as well as appearing in it, recently attended a screening of The Reckoning alongside her husband.
But while she was severely anxious at the thought of seeing her story, and that of her abuser, played out on-screen, Ms Brown said it was 'therapeutic'.
She explained: “I was dreading it and the funny thing was, when we watched it, it was really hard to believe it was me. But I felt so sorry for that little girl. My heart broke for that little girl.
“But I had a week and finally I accepted the fact that she was me and I was her.”
She now thinks watching the scene was therapeutic.
Discussing why he decided to write a drama about someone so embedded in the recent national psyche of the country, Neil McKay said that it wasn't an easy decision.
However, he believed that it was a story worth telling, despite there being documentaries on the subject.
"Anybody who gets involved with making a drama like this, if you’re not kept awake at night, questioning yourself, then in my view you shouldn’t do it," he said.
“There have been some excellent documentaries, but I think drama can do something different.
“Drama can tell a conman story and put you inside the con. That’s what I was trying to get across really.
"What you see is the mechanics of a man who groomed the nation and I think that’s much harder, if not impossible to do in a [documentary].
"My big thing I would say about this drama is that it’s a warning from history. It’s the ultimate cautionary tale about, in many ways, the ultimate groomer."
The Reckoning will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 9 October.
Featured Image Credit: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images/BBC
Topics: Jimmy Savile, UK News, True Crime, TV and Film
