Julie Fernandez: ‘I was groped in crowded Jim’ll Fix It studio when I was 14’

By ANTONY BARNES
Published on 13/10/2012 00:00

ACTRESS Julie Fernandez says she was a victim of Jimmy Savile’s groping when she appeared on one of his TV shows at the age of 14.

The disabled star, who appeared in TV sitcom The Office, said his hands lingered “in places they shouldn’t” when she took part in Jim’ll Fix It, along with school friends.

Ms Fernandez, now 38, said yesterday she and her friends often spoke of the incident, but she was unsure why she did not tell any adults.

She had been positioned next to Savile in the studio after writing to the show on behalf of her friends at Treloar School, a boarding school in Hampshire.

“I was in my wheelchair, but I remember his hands being everywhere and just lingering those two, three, four seconds slightly too long in places they shouldn’t. It was in a busy room full of people in a studio, so it was quite discreetly done and you don’t kind of realise what’s happening at the time, especially when you’re 14 and it’s the first time you’ve ever been in a studio and you’re very excited.

“But I do remember feeling uncomfortable, and he had these huge rings on his fingers.”

Ms Fernandez said she felt like “slapping his hand away”.

She went on: “I’m lucky that it didn’t actually get any more than that, but I do remember it all that time ago and it was in 1988, I believe.”

Ms Fernandez, who also appeared in BBC1’s Eldorado and is a disability rights campaigner, said people were probably afraid to speak out against a prominent figure.

“He was a great fundraiser, so possibly people didn’t want to say negative things about him.

“And what’s really annoying is, he’s now dead and what can we do?” she added.

ANTONY BARNES