[When asked about his freedom from emotional attachment to other people.] The tough thing in life is ultimate freedom, that's when the battle starts. Ultimate freedom is what it's all about, because you've got to be very strong to stand for ultimate freedom.
Ultimate freedom is the big challenge, now I've got it, and I can tell you there's not many of us that have got ultimate freedom. I've got some considerable clout as well, all over. That is where the battle, the personal battle starts now.
I've managed to handle complete and ultimate utter freedom. It's marvellous but it's dangerous.
It would be easy to be corrupted by many things, when you've got ultimate freedom, especially when you've got clout. I could be corrupted.
English DJ, media personality and sexual abuser (1926–2011)
James Wilson Vincent Savile (31 October 1926 – 29 October 2011) was an English DJ, television and radio personality and charity fundraiser. After his death, hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse were made against Savile and, after being investigated, the police concluded he had been a predatory sex offender and possibly one of Britain's most prolific.
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Louis Theroux: So, why do you say in interviews that you hate children when I've seen you with kids and you clearly enjoy their company and you have a good rapport with them?
Jimmy: Right, obviously I don't hate 'em. That's number one.
Louis: Yeah. So why would you say that then?
Jimmy: Because 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.
Louis: Are you basically saying that so tabloids don't, you know, pursue this whole "Is he/isn’t he a paedophile?" line, basically?
Jimmy: Yes, yes, yes. Oh, aye. How do they know whether I am or not? How does anybody know whether I am? Nobody knows whether I am or not. I know I'm not, so I can tell you from experience that the easy way of doing it when they're saying "Oh, you have all them children on Jim'll Fix It", say "Yeah, I hate 'em."
Louis: Yeah. To me that sounds more, sort of, suspicious in a way though, because it seems so implausible.
Jimmy: Well, that's my policy, that's the way it goes. That's what I do. And it's worked a dream.
(Pause)
Louis: Has it worked?
Jimmy: A dream.
[As a nightclub manager in Leeds, late 1950s] A high-ranking lady police officer came in one night and showed me the picture of an attractive girl who had run away from a remand home. "Ah," says I, all serious, "if she comes in I'll bring her back tomorrow but I'll keep her all night first as my reward." The law lady, new to the area, was nonplussed. Back at the station she asked "Is he serious?"
It is God's truth that the absconder came in [to the club] that night. Taking her into the office, I said, "Run now if you want but you can't run for the rest of your life." She listened to the alternative and agreed that I hand her over if she could stay at the dance, come home with me, and that I would promise to see her when they let her out.
At 11.30 the next morning she was willingly presented to an astounded lady of the law. The officeress was dissuaded from bringing charges against me by her colleagues, for it was well known that, were I to go, I would probably take half the station with me.
[After being informed of an unnamed 1960s pop singer sleeping with 12 to 14 year olds.] Yes. I would never have time to excuse anything like adults being into children. In fact I'd rather not even opinionate on this. I’ll leave it to the Anthony Clares of this world to sort out the psychology of child abuse. But I will stand up and say this sort of thing is sickening, not part of my world at all.
But Gary [Glitter] has not tried to sell them [images of child pornography], not tried to show them in public or anything like that. It were for his own gratification.
Whether it was right or wrong is, of course, it's up to him as a person. But they didn't do anything wrong but they are then demonised.
If you said to that copper, what's Gary Glitter done wrong? Well nothing really. He's just sat at home watching dodgy films.