{"id":37805,"date":"2023-10-10T18:39:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T16:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1905227"},"modified":"2023-10-10T21:16:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T19:16:38","slug":"jimmy-saviles-abuse-survivors-as-featured-in-the-reckoning","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/jimmy-saviles-abuse-survivors-as-featured-in-the-reckoning\/","title":{"rendered":"Jimmy Savile\u2019s abuse survivors, as featured in The Reckoning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Susan, Darien, Samantha Brown and Kevin Cook all feature to tell their story in their own words. <\/p>

By Jess Bacon\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 10 October 2023 at 16:39 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The BBC\u2019s latest true crime drama The Reckoning<\/a> revisits the decades of sexual abuse carried out by disgraced TV presenter and DJ Jimmy Savile<\/a> and the culture that enabled it.<\/p>\n

Testimonies from Savile\u2019s real-life victims are brought to life in the drama, with Steve Coogan portraying Savile in re-enactments to showcase how the public figure abused women, teenagers and children, and also how he manipulated the nation.<\/p>\n

Each episode features four of the real-life survivors, Darien, Susan, Samantha Brown and Kevin Cook, who bravely recount their experience of assault at his hands during their childhood and teenage years.<\/p>\n

Writer Neil McKay and executive producer Jeff Pope also worked with several other survivors to make sure that every story was told sensitively in the show.<\/p>\n

After Savile\u2019s death in 2011, hundreds of other victims came forward to report that he had molested, raped or abused them, in some cases during the filming of his TV show Jim\u2019ll Fix It, during the 1970s and \u201980s.<\/p>\n

The number of allegations made to the police totalled more than 450.<\/p>

Pope explained: \u201cWe always knew that we wanted to give some real context to the drama and we had always planned to have on-screen moments with victims and survivors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe kept working our way through the research until we felt we had a cross section that would best represent the huge number of other people out there who Savile abused.\u201d<\/p>\n

Susan<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Close-up\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
BBC<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n

Susan, who doesn\u2019t give her surname, was an optician in Leeds when she met Savile in 1972.<\/p>\n

At the time, the 21-year-old was \u201ccreeped\u201d out by the BBC presenter, who was in his mid-forties. He had come to her place of work for an eye test and she recalled<\/a> being uncomfortable when alone with him in the basement.<\/p>\n

Afterwards, he asked if Susan could carry out a home visit to fix his glasses. He asked for her specifically, describing her as \u201cthe one with the big knockers and short skirt\u201d.<\/p>\n

She stated that when she entered his house, he closed the door behind her, locked it and sexually assaulted her. Susan then went back to work and told some of her colleagues about what had happened, some of whom \u201claughed about it\u201d. Though Susan told friends, she didn\u2019t reveal what took place to her parents. She also didn\u2019t report it to the police at the time for fear of not being believed.<\/p>\n

Susan is one of the few victims who saw Savile again several years later, by chance, in a park in Leeds. The survivor went up to him to ask if he remembered her and he said he\u2019d never seen her before.<\/p>\n

After reports of Savile\u2019s abuse began to emerge following his death, Susan got in touch with the West Yorkshire Police to share her own story.<\/p>\n

Now, the mother-of-three is retired and previously appeared in a Louis Theroux documentary back in 2016 to recount her traumatic experience. After watching that interview, McKay approached her more than six years ago to discuss her involvement in The Reckoning.<\/p>\n

In the series, Susan said that she was \u201cpleased\u201d when she heard that Savile had died, but also angry as he had gotten away with his crimes without punishment.<\/p>\n

Kevin Cook<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Close-up\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
BBC<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n

Kevin, 56, was nine years old when he was invited onto Jim\u2019ll Fix It in 1977 as part of his cub scout group.<\/p>\n

On This Morning, Kevin described the experience as initially the \u201cbest day ever\u201d, with the children encouraged to have fun and throw eggs at each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great memory to start off with,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

His group were told they\u2019d receive one Jim\u2019ll Fix It badge that would be presented to them all collectively, which left the youngsters somewhat disappointed as \u201ceveryone wanted the badge\u201d.<\/p>\n

But after filming, Savile approached Kevin and asked if he would like his own \u2013 he later used the phrase \u201cwould you like to earn your badge\u201d when he was led into a dingy, dark dressing room.<\/p>\n

Kevin suspects that Savile singled him out after his mother gave him a tie to give to him as a present.<\/p>\n

During the sexual assault, Kevin claimed that a second man entered the room (whose identity has not yet been confirmed) and physically hit Kevin. Savile then issued a brief threat before behaving as \u201cthough nothing had happened\u201d.<\/p>\n

For decades, Kevin kept his attack a secret. It was only in 2012 when he heard of another boy who had been abused by Savile that he opened up to his wife about the incident and phoned the police.<\/p>\n

Since then, Kevin has spoken about sexual assault in documentaries, press interviews and an episode of Panorama. In 2016 he also gave pivotal evidence to Dame Janet Smith\u2019s independent investigation into the culture at the BBC.<\/p>\n

On The Reckoning specifically, Kevin has admitted that this project has been more challenging than the many previous occasions he\u2019s opened up about the assault due to seeing Savile brought back to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s totally different,\u201d he said on This Morning as he reflected on the dramatisation. \u201cI\u2019ve not had these feelings before\u2026 I mean my wife\u2019s been brilliant, really supportive, but this is something totally new even for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Samantha Brown<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Close-up\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
BBC<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n

Mum-of-four Samantha Brown was 11-years-old when she was assaulted by Savile at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.<\/p>\n

Every week, Sam had to retrieve the collection plate from the presbytery, which was where the predator took advantage of her. While the church was full, with Sam\u2019s mother present for the service, Samantha said that Savile sexually abused her, then put four of his fingers down her throat to silence her.<\/p>\n

She recalls that he even left the door slightly ajar, as though it gave him a thrill that he could get caught.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be in there for about five minutes to one side of the door and he\u2019d put his fingers in my mouth and I\u2019d be praying for the priest to stop talking so I could go outside with the plate,\u201d she told The Sun<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was such a busy chapel. Every pew would be full and people were there on their hospital beds. I wanted someone to see, I wanted someone to see me. But they never did.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 56-year-old said it was a \u201ccathartic\u201d experience contributing to The Reckoning and watching a re-enactment of her own assault.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I had a week and finally I accepted the fact that she was me and I was her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alongside The Reckoning, Samantha previously discussed the abuse she suffered in Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Darien<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Close-up\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
BBC<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n

When she was 13 or 14, Darien had two horrific encounters with Savile at the start of his career when he was based at a dance hall in Leeds, long before he became a national figure.<\/p>\n

Pope and McKay wanted to make sure that they interviewed survivors from different areas of Savile\u2019s life and career, with the dance hall scene a key part of that.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the series release, Pope said about the survivors: \u201cThey\u2019re very different people, from different walks of life and different parts of the country, so they all had different experiences to share and that shows the large scale of Savile\u2019s abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the drama, Darien spoke candidly about Savile\u2019s technique of hiding in plain sight to distract from his heinous crimes, and the culture that facilitated his double life.<\/p>\n

Darien said: \u201cI found the BBC and other institutions extraordinary, actually talking about the man we all knew, they wanted to make him into a saint.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it was known that there were accusations against Jimmy Savile\u2026 \u2009don\u2019t let this ever happen again. Don\u2019t. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, visit the\u00a0NHS website<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Victim Support<\/a>\u00a0for information and support.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n