I knew nothing: Savile producer (From Banbury Cake)

I knew nothing: Savile producer

3:05pm Tuesday 16th October 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

Jimmy Savile's long-time producer on children's TV show Jim'll Fix It has said he was completely unaware of the presenter's activities and said the star managed to "hoodwink" him.

But Roger Ordish said he did know that Savile had a "predilection for younger females".

In his first interview since the disclosures about Savile's alleged abuse of possibly dozens of under-age victims over a period of many years, he described the presenter as a "manipulative" man. But he told ITV1's This Morning he saw no abuse during the two decades in which he worked with the late TV and radio host.

"I didn't see anything and nothing was reported to me," he said. During their years working together, Mr Ordish said Savile, whom he described as a private man who "compartmentalised" different areas of his life, even stayed at his home.

"He slept in a bedroom next to my 14-year-old daughter and I hope that is some indication that we had no suspicions of anything of this nature at all," he said.

Mr Ordish said Savile would compliment younger girls their beauty, "but nothing obscene", adding: "These are girls who are young females, they're not children. they could have been 14 looking like 18, but they were not children in my definition of the word."

David Cameron has been facing Labour demands to set up an independent inquiry into the Savile sex abuse scandal. Labour leader Ed Miliband insisted that a broad inquiry into Savile's activities at the BBC, Stoke Mandeville hospital and Broadmoor was essential to "do right by the victims".

But Culture Secretary Maria Miller has dismissed calls for an independent inquiry, saying she was "confident" BBC chiefs were taking the claims "very seriously".

The BBC has announced two inquiries as a result of the furore. One will look into whether there were any failings over the handling of an abandoned Newsnight report about Savile, while the second will examine the "culture and practices of the BBC" during the years the presenter worked there.

Responding to Mr Miliband's call, a Downing Street spokeswoman told a regular media briefing in Westminster: "Nothing has been ruled out, but our view is it would be premature to prejudge the outcome of the two BBC inquiries and the police investigation."