11. How deep did the Jimmy Savile cover up run? With Meirion Jones

After Jimmy Savile’s death in 2011, reports began to emerge that he had sexually abused hundreds of people throughout his life. Savile had been one of the country’s best-known entertainers, a darling of the BBC, commanding audiences of millions on shows like Top of the Pops and Jim’ll Fix It. Surely his criminal activities were known by those close to him? Just how deep did the cover up run? James and Jol are this week joined by journalist Meirion Jones, who’s Newsnight investigation into the suspected paedophilic crimes of Savile was famously dropped at the 11th hour, not long after Savile’s death. He also happens to be James’s boss.  Meirion reveals who at the BBC knew what at the height of Savile’s fame, and opens up about the Newsnight scandal that engulfed the BBC in 2011, resulting in Meirion becoming the news rather than just reporting on it.  Meirion Jones is the editor of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and features in the Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story.  Email us your thoughts on [email protected]  Once a week with us not enough? Join us in the Tier 4 Platinum circle. Subscribers to Tier 4 Platinum circle will get an extra episode every week, where we’ll be discussing new developments in the world of conspiracies, extended tangents and subscribers get the exclusive opportunity to get in touch and tell us what we’ve got wrong. Plus, subscribers get all episodes of the show completely ad-free. Visit the New Conspiracist show page on Apple Podcasts and hit ‘try free’ at the top of the page to start your free trial. A Somethin Else & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices