The Scottish singer Lulu has admitted she thought disgraced entertainer Jimmy Savile was “weird”.
Savile was one of the biggest stars in television during his life, but following his death in 2011, it was revealed he was a prolific sex offender with hundreds of victims.
Speaking to Louis Theroux on his podcast, Lulu expressed her opinion of Savile and said she “couldn’t believe” how successful he was.
The 77-year-old, best known for her single chart-topping Shout, detailed how during her career she often “ran into” Savile as he was “everywhere”, and said: “I never had any issues.
“He was weird, there was no doubt about it. I couldn’t believe how he was so successful. I used to think, how is this man so successful?
“I thought he was ridiculous. Listen, I would never have said that then.”
She added: “I was taught very early on, I had to think about what I was going to say before I said it. And my mother used to always tell me to be secretive.
“So I am very outspoken, but I have been trained, within an inch of my life, to be careful.”
The singer, whose real name is Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, was in her teens and 20s during the height of Savile’s early career on BBC music show, Top Of The Pops, which she also appeared on.
The extent of Savile’s crimes only emerged after his death and he is now believed to be one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders. He died in October 2011, aged 84, having never been brought to justice.
Lulu said the serial sexual abuser “certainly had nothing to do with me” and said she cannot remember if she appeared on his hit BBC show Jim’ll Fix It, which saw him fulfil the wishes of children who wrote in with requests.
She said: “I can’t remember, but (talent manager) Marion Massey was by my side always. I’m sure you understand why I’m so grateful to her.”
The singer added that she thinks her upbringing explains why she did not like Savile, adding: “I’ve got a feeling that it’s because of my childhood, as I mentioned to you.
“If you come from a dysfunctional childhood, you become very alert.”
Since the beginning of her career in 1964, Lulu has achieved 10 UK top 10 singles and a UK top 10 album.
The star is also known for I’m A Tiger and Boom Bang-A-Bang, which was a joint Eurovision winner in 1969 with the Spanish, Dutch and French entries, who all tied on 18 points.
The full interview with Lulu is available on The Louis Theroux Podcast.
