Sep 15, 2026 · 34 min · 12 segments
Join Mark and Jeremy today as they discuss the case of Rolf Harris – famed entertainer, and serial abuser. We break down the timeline of the so-called ‘Primetime Predator,’ and track his descent for…
Mark Williams-ThomasHost
Jeremy VineHost
Yeah, but I think going back to you, Tree, That was the problem for me, which was that Yewtree was clearly partly a reflex by the police to make up for lost ground with Savile.
So Savile apparently died lying in bed with his fingers crossed, and he got away with it, and he knew he bloody had.
And all of us were furious about that, but the police more than anyone, not least because he had a so-called police breakfast club once a month in Leeds, where he would hand them letters from women accusing him of raping them as children and say, there's another stalker for you to deal with.
And they clearly, you know, I suppose it showed to me that the police have almost got a personality that is quite emotional.
They got hoaxed by a guy called Carl Beach, and they then went on this goose chase, and they took in Paul Gambaccini, innocent, life ruined, arguably.
Cliff! You know, with a famous helicopter shot of his house as the police went in.
So by the end of it, I, just as a punter, was looking, thinking U-Tree has been a complete and utter disaster.
And I must say, and this is laziness on my part, I thought, no, maybe they kind of just... put some facts together that weren't real.
Now I have, I can see how bad he was and I'm so glad they got him before he died.
I think the difference is that Rolf hadn't set off red flags or red beacons, if you like, that connected Rolf So Savile, there began to be a connection between his victims.
And of course, that's the paedophiles' greatest strength is to isolate their victims.
Yeah, I mean, Rolf Harris, you're very true in terms of U-Tree has become synonymous now of kind of failure.
Yeah, but I think going back to you, Tree, That was the problem for me, which was that Yewtree was clearly partly a reflex by the police to make up for lost ground with Savile.
So Savile apparently died lying in bed with his fingers crossed, and he got away with it, and he knew he bloody had.
And all of us were furious about that, but the police more than anyone, not least because he had a so-called police breakfast club once a month in Leeds, where he would hand them letters from women accusing him of raping them as children and say, there's another stalker for you to deal with.
And they clearly, you know, I suppose it showed to me that the police have almost got a personality that is quite emotional.
They got hoaxed by a guy called Carl Beach, and they then went on this goose chase, and they took in Paul Gambaccini, innocent, life ruined, arguably.
Cliff! You know, with a famous helicopter shot of his house as the police went in.
So by the end of it, I, just as a punter, was looking, thinking U-Tree has been a complete and utter disaster.
And I must say, and this is laziness on my part, I thought, no, maybe they kind of just... put some facts together that weren't real.
Now I have, I can see how bad he was and I'm so glad they got him before he died.
I think the difference is that Rolf hadn't set off red flags or red beacons, if you like, that connected Rolf So Savile, there began to be a connection between his victims.
And of course, that's the paedophiles' greatest strength is to isolate their victims.
Yeah, I mean, Rolf Harris, you're very true in terms of U-Tree has become synonymous now of kind of failure.
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