Ex-radio DJ and Top Of The Pops host, Sir Jimmy Savile OBE, made dreams come true for hundreds of children on a show that received a viewing audience of 19 million.
The show began in 1975 when Savile asked viewers to send in their requests on the national television programme Nationwide. The show received 350,000 letters annually or around 4,800 letters per day.
Already a major personality through his work on Radio Luxembourg, Radio 1 and Top Of The Pops, Jim’ll Fix It turned Savile into an icon – a surrogate mad uncle for at least two whole generations.
Bedecked with jewellery and garish clothing in a manner that was a gift to lazy impressionists, those lucky enough to have their letter picked out and brought to life went home with a bit of Savile-style bling of their own, a gigantic, square silver medallion with the legend ‘Jim Fixed It For Me’ emblazoned on it.
Memorable “Fix It’s” included blowing up a cooling tower, flying with the Royal Air Force, burning one million pounds, going to Fawlty Towers to meet Manuel and a now-legendary episode where a troop of cub scouts ate their lunch on a roller coaster with hilarious results.
Over the years, the huge mailbag meant even the lucky ones had to wait. One eight-year-old who asked to do a funny walk with Max Wall was twelve before it was ‘fixed’. But a 103-year-old was granted his wish within months. It was to drive a Formula One racing car.
Your letter was only the start of it
one letter and now you’re a part of it
Now you’ve done it
Jim has fixed it for you
and you and you
A short-lived Australian version of the show aired in 1978. With the absence of a national celebrity of the scale of Savile, the show was simply titled Nine Will Fix It – The ‘Nine’ being the Aussie Nine Network.
After his death in 2011, hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse were made against Jimmy Savile, leading the police to believe that he had been a predatory sex offender – possibly one of Britain’s most prolific.
