Jimmy Savile survivor was in 'disbelief' watching Steve Coogan play abuser

Sam Brown was abused by Jimmy Savile when she was just 11 years old and recently went to a screening of The Reckoning, starring Steve Coogan.

Coogan, 57, portrays disgraced star Savile – who died aged 84 in 2011 – in the four-part BBC drama.

Savile famously died before his prolific crimes as a child sex abuser and sex offender came to light and Brown said she was ‘severely anxious’ before attending the screening with her husband.

Brown, 56, was assaulted by Savile at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and said the DJ could ‘sense she was vulnerable’.

Horrifically, Brown had been abused by her grandfather prior to meeting Savile.

She told The Times of her experience watching The Reckoning, having watched all four parts of the series in advance after contributing to and featuring in the programme.

‘I was dreading it and the funny thing was, when we watched it, it was really hard to believe it was me. But I felt so sorry for that little girl. My heart broke for that little girl.’

She bravely added: ‘But I had a week and finally I accepted the fact that she was me and I was her.’

Brown also called the process ‘therapeutic’, having been portrayed by an actress in the series, and after working closely with writer Neil McKay to help to inform his scripts.

Viewers have already been given a glimpse of Coogan as the vile serial abuser in first-look pictures and last month the much-anticipated trailer was released, indicating Savile’s crimes will be explored in-depth.

More than 450 allegations were brought forward to the police following Savile’s death.

Given the nature of Savile’s crimes, The Reckoning has already been at the centre of intense backlash resulting in the BBC explaining that it is being treated with extreme caution.

Coogan has also defended the drama and said producers and the broadcasters made the ‘correct choice’.

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‘It is controversial and I understand that,’ Coogan told Radio Times.

‘The BBC are damned if they do and damned if they don’t, and I believe the correct choice is to be damned if they do. Broadly, it’s better to talk about something than not.

‘The team had the right attitude and it was done with the cooperation of survivors. I think when it’s broadcast, it will vindicate itself.’

The Reckoning airs on October 9 at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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