Jimmy Savile and the BBC
The revelations about the broadcaster, Operation Yewtree's prosecutions, and the reviews into the BBC and NHS.
32 developments, 2012–2024, oldest first.
2012
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ITV stands by upcoming documentary alleging Jimmy Savile abused teenage girls
ITV defended its forthcoming Exposure documentary alleging the late BBC presenter Jimmy Savile sexually abused girls in the 1970s. The BBC said it had found no record of misconduct on its premises.
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BBC issues apology over Savile and launches two inquiries
BBC director general George Entwistle apologised to those affected and announced reviews into the shelved Newsnight investigation and into the culture of the BBC during Savile's career.
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BBC names Dame Janet Smith and Nick Pollard to lead Savile reviews
The BBC appointed former judge Dame Janet Smith to examine the corporation's culture during Savile's years there and former Sky News chief Nick Pollard to review why Newsnight dropped its Savile report.
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Metropolitan Police launch Operation Yewtree criminal inquiry
Scotland Yard opened a formal criminal investigation, later known as Operation Yewtree, after concluding some allegations involved people other than Savile who were still alive.
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Newsnight editor steps aside over shelved Savile investigation
Newsnight editor Peter Rippon stepped aside after the BBC said his explanation for dropping a 2011 report on Savile abuse allegations had been inaccurate.
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Police say number of potential Savile victims reaches 300
The Metropolitan Police said around 300 potential victims had come forward with allegations against Savile spanning several decades.
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Gary Glitter arrested by Operation Yewtree detectives
Former pop star Gary Glitter became the first person arrested under Operation Yewtree, the police inquiry prompted by the Savile allegations.
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BBC director general George Entwistle resigns
George Entwistle resigned after 54 days as director general amid the fallout from the shelved Savile report and a separate Newsnight broadcast that wrongly implicated a former politician in abuse.
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Publicist Max Clifford arrested in Yewtree investigation
Publicist Max Clifford was arrested by Operation Yewtree officers on suspicion of sexual offences; he denied the allegations.
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Pollard review finds BBC leadership failures over axed Newsnight Savile report
The Pollard review found chaos and leadership failures in the BBC's handling of the dropped Newsnight investigation, though it concluded the decision was not made to protect tribute programmes.
2013
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Police and NSPCC report reveals scale of Savile's offending
The Giving Victims a Voice report by the Metropolitan Police and NSPCC recorded 214 criminal offences by Savile across 28 police force areas over more than five decades.
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Max Clifford charged with 11 counts of indecent assault
Prosecutors charged Max Clifford with 11 counts of indecent assault following the Operation Yewtree investigation.
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Veteran BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall admits indecent assaults on girls
Stuart Hall, a longtime BBC presenter, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of indecently assaulting girls between 1967 and 1985.
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Stuart Hall jailed for 15 months for indecent assaults
Stuart Hall was sentenced at Preston Crown Court to 15 months in prison; the term was later doubled on appeal as unduly lenient.
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Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis charged with indecent assault
Prosecutors charged former Radio 1 presenter Dave Lee Travis with indecent assault offences arising from Operation Yewtree.
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Savile investigation in the NHS widened to more hospitals
The Department of Health widened its investigation into Savile's activities at NHS hospitals to cover additional sites where he had access.
2014
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Leaked draft says Savile may have abused up to 1,000 people on BBC premises
The Observer reported that material gathered for the Dame Janet Smith review suggested the number of people abused by Savile on BBC premises could be far higher than earlier estimates.
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Max Clifford found guilty of eight indecent assaults
A jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted Max Clifford of eight counts of indecent assault against women and girls.
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Max Clifford jailed for eight years
Max Clifford was sentenced to eight years in prison for indecent assaults committed between 1977 and 1984.
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Stuart Hall given further jail term after second trial
Stuart Hall received an additional prison sentence after being found guilty at a second trial of indecently assaulting a girl.
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NHS reports find Savile abused patients aged five to 75 in hospitals
Investigations at Leeds General Infirmary, Broadmoor and other NHS hospitals found Savile abused patients and staff over decades; the health secretary apologised to victims.
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Rolf Harris jailed for five years and nine months
Entertainer Rolf Harris, long a BBC presenter, was jailed after being convicted of 12 indecent assaults against girls between 1968 and 1986.
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Dave Lee Travis found guilty of indecent assault
Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis was convicted at a retrial of indecently assaulting a woman in 1995; he later received a suspended sentence.
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Court of Appeal approves compensation scheme for Savile victims
The Court of Appeal rejected a challenge by the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust and approved a compensation scheme for people who say Savile abused them, paid from his estate.
2015
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Lampard lessons-learned report and NHS findings on Savile published
Reports into Savile's activities at Stoke Mandeville and dozens of other hospitals found complaints about him were ignored, and a lessons-learned review urged tighter controls on celebrity and volunteer access.
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Gary Glitter jailed for 16 years for abusing girls
Gary Glitter, the first person arrested under Operation Yewtree, was sentenced to 16 years after being convicted of sexually abusing three girls in the 1970s and 1980s.
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Police chief says Operation Yewtree 'got things wrong'
A senior police leader acknowledged mistakes in Operation Yewtree, including the handling of high-profile people who were arrested but never charged.
2016
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Dame Janet Smith review finds BBC culture let Savile and Hall abuse unchecked
The Dame Janet Smith review found Savile abused 72 people connected to the BBC and that a culture of fear and deference meant staff concerns went unreported; the BBC apologised.
2017
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Rolf Harris cleared of further sex assault charges
A jury cleared Rolf Harris of three indecent assault charges and failed to reach verdicts on four others; prosecutors later decided not to seek a retrial.
2024
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Former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards charged with making indecent images of children
Huw Edwards, who had resigned from the BBC in April 2024, was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children.
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Huw Edwards pleads guilty to indecent image charges
Edwards pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court to three charges of making indecent images of children; the BBC said it would seek to recover pay from him.
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Huw Edwards given suspended six-month sentence
Edwards received a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years and was ordered to attend a sex offender treatment programme.