Steve Coogan, who plays the serial sex abuser Jimmy Savile in a highly controversial BBC drama, has challenged accusations made this weekend that the four-part series is a useful fig leaf to cover the public broadcaster’s damaged reputation. Talking to the Observer on the eve of the broadcasts, he spoke candidly about the dangers of taking on the disturbing role of the paedophile entertainer and suggested that predators and bullies often adopt a charismatic persona to mask their abuses.
“Savile could control every room intuitively. With any predator, almost across the board – and including people in entertainment – there’s an ability to hide behind a professional disposition,” said Coogan. “The court jester thing that Savile put on for his career, and for his subterfuge, was a suit of armour for him. And in showbusiness there’s a lack of structure or protocols, compared with other professions, so it is a fertile environment for people to act outside the norm.”
