Jimmy Savile used 'distraction technique' to avoid answering question when asked about 'Playboy life'

For decades, Jimmy Savile was one of the best-loved television personalities in the country.

But following his death in 2011, it was revealed that he was an evil sexual predator, who targeted vulnerable, young girls.

Over the years, questions had been asked about his love life and sexuality, with the DJ wrong-footing journalists with his outlandish behaviour in order to evade the topic.

A clear example of this can be seen in an old clip from his interview on Is This Your Life? back in 1995.

Interviewer Andrew Neil attempted to get into the finer detail of Savile's 'playboy life', but had the tables turned on him almost immediately.

In the footage, Savile uses a range of techniques to deflect from the line of questioning, even brandishing a banana to get some laughs.

"I mean, you know, a gentleman doesn't ever speak of ladies," he replied.

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"Where've you come from? I don't know what your circles are, but my circles, ladies... you don't grass on 'em."

When asked why he has seemingly shied away from close relationships with women in the past, the paedophile joked: "I'm happy to have a few close relationships tonight, if anybody's not spoken for.

"What you doing after the show ladies? A few close relationships, I'm all for it."

Not shifting from the topic, Neil attempted again to get a proper answer, with Savile dismissing his lack of a public love life simply as a consequence of his lifestyle.

"I've never been in the same town more than about 48 hours at any one time," he said.

"It's just the lifestyle I've got, it's not my fault."

After trying once again to get an actual response about his love life, Savile cut him off, offering yet another performative display.

"I fall in love every day of my life," he told the presenter.

"Every day of my life I fall in love. Two, three, four times a day I could get married immediately - except the lights change and you have to drive off because they're going the other way.

"Or the train pulls out the station and you're going, 'I want to marry you.'"

And when Neil tried to raise the subject of sex, Savile once again reverted to type, playing to the crowd and feigning prudishness.

"You mentioned the 'S word?!'" he replied.

Savile died in October 2011 aged 84, and was never brought to justice.

Steve Coogan is set to play him in a BBC drama about his lie and the devastating consequences of his horrific crimes.

The Reckoning will premiere on 9 October.

Topics: Jimmy Savile, TV and Film, True Crime, UK News, Sex and Relationships, BBC

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

@SmithersDom