Inside Rolf Harris’ ‘creepy’ relationship with Jimmy Saville as disgraced star laid to rest

The news that disgraced TV star Rolf Harris had passed away at the age of 93 was revealed on Wednesday. Harris died of neck cancer and “frailty of old age” at his home on May 10, according to his death certificate. A registrar at Maidenhead Town Hall confirmed the disgraced TV presenter’s death on Tuesday afternoon.

The Australian musician and kids entertainer became “gravely ill” in his final months, with his family confirming the news yesterday (Wednesday) and the fact that his funeral had already taken place.

The convicted paedophile served three years in prison for a string of child-related sex offences and it’s been reported that he was left struggling to talk and was being fed by tubes in his ending months before his death.

Earlier this month we reported on his controversial relationship with fellow child abuser Jimmy Saville, after old footage showing Harris joking with Jimmy Savile about leaving a minor ‘safely in his arms’ resurfaced.

The scenes – which will leave viewers sickened – were unearthed by new documentary Rolf Harris: Hiding In Plain Sight, which was released on ITVX on May 18 and explores the extraordinary truth behind the rise and fall of the convicted sex abuser.

But how far back does their friendship go?

The older days

An insight into their relationship was first revealed back in 2014 according to reports in the Sun when Alison Pink, an ex-inmate at Broadmoor Hospital, recalled the pair becoming google-eyed over vulnerable women as they prepared for bed.

Rolf Harris was already been cremated in a secret ceremony before his death was publicly announced(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Alison, now known as Steven George, recalled the horror which occurred in 1973, saying: “Harris turned up one evening out of the blue. He was being shown around by Saville in an understated way.

“Normally stars only came if they were there for an official performance but Harris didn’t do one.

“It was also unusual because visitors would come at visiting hours, between 10am and 4pm, but they came in as we were getting ready for bed.”

Alison referenced that the vile pair were “birds of a feather”.

Harris was working as a pop star at the time, linking him closely to Saville, who was on Radio 1 and Top of the Pops. Harris later sketched Saville smoking his trademark cigar, with the eery drawing going on to fetch £4,500 at a charity auction after his death in 2011.

The duo’s chilling past on television

They appeared together a number of times on TV, and on one notable chilling appearance on Savile’s BBC show Jim’ll Fix It, the pair joke about a little girl being “safe” in their hands.

In the clip, Saville, whose show “fixed wishes” for young kids who wrote in, read out a letter which said: “It does say here, dear Jimmy…

“I have always wanted to see Rolf Harris doing one of his paintings, please could you fix it for me. Love, Lynn.”

Rolf Harris was once hailed for his work before his sickening string of abuse came to light.(Image: Getty)

Harris snarled back in reply: “Safely leave her in my capable hands here,” before later telling Jimmy: “she is anxious to run away” before adding “you stay here and enjoy it, girl”.

There is no suggestion the girl in the clip was abused by either of the pair, but it hasn’t stopped people from speculating about the creepy encounter.

What was Rolf Harris convicted of?

Rolf Harris was found unanimously guilty by the jury at Southwark Crown Court of 12 counts of indecent assault involving victims as young as seven or eight in July 2014 when his gruesome crimes came to light.

The singer and songwriter, at the age of 84 when convicted, was sentenced to five years and nine months.

He was later released in 2017 on license and in May of that year was formally cleared of four unconnected historical sex offences, which he had denied.

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Later that year, one of the 12 indecent assault convictions was overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Meanwhile, his sickening pal Saville, now widely been considered as one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders, was never charged after dying before his crimes were uncovered in 2011 after being admitted to hospital with pneumonia.

How did it all come out?

Rolf Harris was born March 30, 1930, in Perth, Australia, to Welsh emigrants and moved to England at the age of 22 to study in the 1950s before he kicked off his television career.

He presented a children’s art show on the BBC and soon became a ‘national treasure’ who painted The Queen and appeared at kids’ festivals and on TV adverts, receiving a string of noble honours for his work.

But his career which spanned over 60 years all came crashing down when a childhood pal of his only child, Bindi, known as Victim A in court, came forward alleging Rolf groomed her at the age of only 13.

Australian entertainer Rolf Harris with his wife Alwen and daughter Bindi after receiving his MBE at Buckingham Palace.(Image: Hulton Archive)

In months to follow, it came out that the sickening star had abused four other young girls, one aged just seven or eight.

A 2014 victim impact statement by Bindi’s friend revealed: “The effects of the abuse have been with me for many years. I started drinking at the age of 14 to 15 years old.”

The paedo, who was awarded an MBE, OBE and later CBE , was later stripped of all of his honours in 2015. In his final years, Rolf lived as a recluse in his £7 million mansion in Berkshire caring for wife Alwen, despite becoming gravely unwell himself.

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