What happened when Jimmy Savile entered the Celebrity Big Brother house and what were his comments?

It’s a bit of a big 24 hours for television, with ITV’s revival of the ‘Big Brother’ franchise taking place last night, while the docu-drama, ‘The Reckoning,’ based around the life of prolific sexual offender and paedophile Jimmy Savile begins airing on BBC One tonight. 

The four-part drama, with Steve Coogan taking on the role of Savile, is sure to once again elicit water cooler conversation as much as the latest series of ‘Big Brother.’

But what about the time when both worlds collided? In the 2006 edition of ‘Celebrity Big Brother,’ Jimmy Savile made a guest appearance as part of a task for the housemates - and with it, a litany of comments that, looking back, were incredibly distasteful and, well, pretty creepy; five years before he was exposed as a prolific sexual predator and paedophile in 2011.

Spending two days with the housemates, Savile’s appearance was a nod to his television series, ‘Jim’ll Fix It’ where he would fix any problems that the housemates may have. Upon his entry into the Big Brother house, the housemates - oblivious to his crimes - cheered as he introduced himself. 

But after the hugs and kisses, Savile immediately states to the housemates “I want you to know I have a violent temper but you have nothing to fear from me,” then informs the female housemates that “I would want to marry all of you ladies for at least 24 hours.” He then took the hand of the eventual winner, Chantelle Houghton, and kissed it before telling her “I know that many fellas love you, but they don’t love you with the sincerity and tenderness I do. I always tell the truth, even when I’m lying.”

Later in his appearance, the housemates were asked to write down requests to Savile for jobs that needed doing. During this, Savile poked his head into the women’s bedroom and informed them: “Don’t forget ladies, I’m available most weekends for home visits.” Alongside the misogynistic comments was also a chilling discussion when he asked if anyone had ever “been in the slammer” and stated that he himself had never been “inside.”

Upon leaving the house, Savile explained the reasons why he couldn’t stay longer, stating he came from a "red-blooded part of the country" and would not be able to restrain himself.

What did the Celebrity Big Brother housemates say during Jimmy Savile’s appearance?

Some of the reactions from the housemates have aged like milk, with Michael Barrymore at one point getting on his knees and apparently ‘worshipping’ Savile’s entry into the house, later going into the Diary Room, and saying "when he came in I was blown away because it's him and he never lets you down. I didn't think seeing Jim and hearing Jim talking and being so personal and kind to me. I started to well up in there and thought 'here we go'."

But two housemates were more cautious regarding Savile’s appearance and the ongoing rumours of his conduct before it came to light in 2011. Pete Burns, while Barrymore was in the Diary Room to make his eviction nominations on Day 18 said “He'll take his secrets to his grave and beyond, Mr Savile.”

That prompted George Galloway to retort “Nobody's secrets survive the grave.”