Public Image
During his lifetime and at the time of his death, Savile was regarded as "an eccentric adornment to British public life.... an ubiquitous and distinctive face on television", who "relished being in the public eye" and was "a shrewd promoter of his own image". He was famous for his "bizarre yodel", and catchphrases which included "how's about that, then?", "now then, now then, now then", "goodness gracious", "as it 'appens" and "guys and gals". Savile was frequently spoofed for his distinctive appearance, which usually featured a track suit or shell suit and gold jewellery. A range of licensed fancy dress costumes was released with his consent in 2009.
Savile was a cigar smoker who smoked very expensive Cuban brands. He was a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and drove a Rolls-Royce. He was a member of Mensa. He was made a life member of the British Gypsy Council in 1975, becoming the first "outsider" to be made a member. He was chieftain of the Lochaber Highland Games for many years, and owned a house in Glen Coe. His appearance on the final edition of Top of the Pops in 2006 was pre-recorded as it clashed with the games.
Through his support of charities, Savile became a friend of Margaret Thatcher, who in 1981, described his work as "marvellous". He reportedly spent eleven consecutive New Years Eves at Chequers with Thatcher and her family. In 1984, he was accepted as a member of the Athenaeum Club, a gentlemen's club in London's Pall Mall after being proposed by Cardinal Basil Hume. He met Prince Charles through mutual charity interests, and Charles reportedly sent him gifts on his 80th birthday and a note reading: "Nobody will ever know what you have done for this country Jimmy. This is to go some way in thanking you for that."
A lifelong bachelor, Savile lived with his mother (whom he referred to as "The Duchess") and kept her bedroom and wardrobe exactly as it was when she died. Every year he had her clothes dry cleaned. Savile's personal relationships were rarely the subject of media report or comment in his lifetime. In his autobiography he claimed he had had many sexual relations with women, and that "there have been trains and, with apologies to the hit parade, boats and planes (I am a member of the 40,000 ft club) and bushes and fields, corridors, doorways, floors, chairs, slag heaps, desks and probably everything except the celebrated chandelier and ironing board."
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