Helen Fielding, the author of Bridget Jones, says the Jim'll Fix It team had a rule that Jimmy Savile couldn't be left alone with children on set.

The writer, 61, who worked for the BBC show in her early 20s, says producers 'must have known' about Savile's behaviour to have made the rule.

Helen worked behind the scenes on the show after graduating from Oxford University.

When asked whether she had any suspicions about Savile, she said: 'Well, we always said: ''Don't leave Jimmy alone with the children''.

'But we were sort of 23, and you know.... I am sure the producers must have known.

Helen Fielding, who worked for the BBC show in her early 20s, says producers 'must have known' about Savile's behaviour

'We didn't think he would do anything. But he was so creepy. We always stayed with the kids.'

Joking about her time on the show after leaving university, Helen told the School of Life event at London's Emmanuel Centre: 'I always had aspirations to be quite literary and intellectual - but I worked for Jim'll Fix It, and things like that.'

After Savile died in 2011, 450 alleged victims made complaints to the Met Police about him in just 10 weeks.

Savile abused 72 victims at the BBC going back to 1959 when he raped a 13-year-old girl at Lime Grove Studios.

The DJ sexually assaulted 57 women or girls and 15 boys, with the youngest girl he raped being 13 and youngest boy being 10.

Dame Janet Smith, in a three-year investigation, concluded he was responsible for eight rapes – two of them against males.

After Savile died in 2011, 450 alleged victims made complaints to the Met Police about him in just 10 weeks

His most recent attack was in 2006 when he indecently touched a woman following filming of the last ever episode of Top of the Pops – when Savile was aged 79.

Other vile crimes exposed included the rape of both a virgin teenager in a hotel and a 15-year-old work experience girl he met in the BBC canteen over a cup of tea.

Savile was a 'serial sexual predator' and the BBC missed five opportunities to stop his misconduct.

Despite the revelations, Dame Janet controversially said the corporation's failure to stop Savile was not the fault of senior managers;

She concluded that some of the disgraced DJ's colleagues were aware of his depravity but believed senior managers were never told.