Louis Theroux has said he is still "confused" about finding disgraced broadcaster Jimmy Savile "quite likeable" for a couple of years after he made a documentary about him.

Theroux spent three months with the former Top Of The Pops presenter while making his documentary When Louis Met Jimmy in 2000, which failed to expose him as a paedophile.

Theroux went on to have a friendship with Savile and sometimes stayed at his house.

After Savile's abuse was exposed following his death in 2011, Theroux made a follow-up documentary to try to "understand the truth more fully" by talking to victims.

Investigations after Savile's death found he exploited his celebrity status to abuse hundreds of adults and youngsters in TV dressing rooms, hospitals, children's homes and schools.


Theroux told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs: "There's a slightly naive view that if abuse happens you recognise it as abuse straight away, and of course that isn't how it works in a real world setting.

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"So, it was something that I had to learn and I'd like to think that I bring that understanding now to my work and also as a human being."

He added: "I'd remained in contact with him (Savile) a little bit after I'd made the first programme.

"So, while I'm still quite proud of the first programme, I'm still a bit confused about how was I able to experience him as a somewhat likeable person in the year or two after making it.

"That's something I think upon."

On his follow-up documentary, he said: "I suppose I felt I wanted to figure out how it was that I'd missed what I'd missed.

"I wanted to do a personal and professional stock-taking and to sit down with victims and talk to them about their experiences.

"(There is) something very conflicting about reading about crimes and predatory activity while also knowing that this was someone who you, sort of, quite liked, and trying to square that in your own mind.

"And sometimes... victims of serious sexual assault experience a similar ambivalence."