Louis Theroux: Savile

I get fascinated by documentaries, programs and books about sexual abuse. In some ways it is probable a little bit unhealthy as it always effects me in some way or another. But I guess curiosity killed the cat and I suffer with a fear of missing out, so when I saw Louis Theroux was doing a documentary on Jimmy Savile I knew I was going to end up watching it at some point.

In light of the unmasking of Jimmy Savile as a predatory sex offender, and 15 years on from the BBC documentary When Louis Met Jimmy, Louis Theroux sets out to understand how a man who was at the centre of British entertainment and charitable fundraising for decades was able to get away with a long litany of crimes.

In this reflective 75-minute film, Louis talks to some of Savile’s victims and to people who worked closely with him, and re-examines moments from the original film as well as footage that has never aired before on television.

I saw a lot of people commenting about it on Twitter and decided that I was going to take the plunge and watch it.

It was fascinating, and scary to see who some people still don’t believe that he was capable of the things he did. To hear the stories of the victims who are very frank and open about the abuse. As well as Louis trying to understand how he missed seeing Jimmy Savile for who he really was.

For me there was one person who stuck out, a lady named Sam and she features right at the very end of the documentary. As someone who has been abused I felt as though her words really hit home with me and she was able to verbalise things that I often find hard to say, she was abused by both her Grandad and Jimmy Savile:

“I have lovely memories of my Grandad that everyone else really struggles with cause he took time out with me alot now I know now why he took his time out but if I was to make that person a whole one person then I’m really into trouble because I’ve got no – where does your nice bit ever be. You can’t do that, you can’t have a whole childhood of horrible stuff. So I take the good bits out because its easier to do that – you’ve got to take something somewhere”

Those words are so true, my abuser (my Uncle) took me on day trips, holidays, meals out – now looking back I can see he was only using them as a way of getting closer to me however at the time I enjoyed those holidays and day trips and in some ways I still look back on aspects of those times and remember the fun I had. Like Sam says- ‘You can’t have a whole childhood of horrible stuff’.

– Stacey xo