JIM DAVIDSON EXCLUSIVE – TEN YEARS ON FROM HIS ARREST:

JIM DAVIDSON has revealed he thought Operation Yewtree would spell the end of his career in TV and comedy when he was arrested in 2013.
In a candid interview with Nana Akua on GB News, the 69-year-old comedian revealed: “When I look back at the time Operation Yewtree was happening, I actually went on stage once to the Jim’ll Fix It theme with the Jim’ll Fix It it badge. I used to do a whole routine about it. And someone said ‘you want to be careful. They come knocking at your door one day and one day they did’.
“They were all camped outside my house. Loads of people. They were all outside my house for ages and ages and ages. And I remember coming around the corner as I’d come back from The Co-op and there was a live TV crew there.
“I’m looking back at it as a laugh, but I thought it was a done deal. It was all a little bit silly. Freddie Starr had been arrested; a few other people have been arrested. I thought well they can’t get me.
“And then suddenly I was arrested at Heathrow. I had a load of accusations. And me and my lawyers went and got all the evidence and gave it to the police. And they basically said, ‘Jim, there’s not going to be any more action, so no further action (NFA)’. It was a bit scary because I thought it was a done deal. And I thought that the public, although there’s ones that say, ‘oh no smoke without fire’, I thought the public would think enough is enough.”
Despite what happened Davidson said he had no plans to sue the police.
He said: “It was said to me, ‘you should sue the police’. No, the police were doing their job and the police did a good job.
“But I don’t like being accused of something. I haven’t done. And it really knocked my stomach up a bit.”
Reflecting on his career spanning over four decades, Davidson said: “I’ve achieved things in different lumps of stuff. You know, I did well as a little young stand-up comic, I was quite good live and then I was quite good on the television as a comedian and then as the game show host. I quite enjoyed that.
“I really loved the Generation Game because I didn’t have to go on and swear and be horrible. I could just go on and have a laugh.
“And then of course after that continuing to work live selling out everywhere, so I’ve had it all in chunks. I had a wife to suit each chunk too.”
Davidson, who has been married five times and has been married to wife Michelle Cotton since 2009, added: “Michelle, I’ve been with her for a life sentence now. She’s mad about me.”
Meanwhile, discussing modern day comedy in the 21st century, Davidson said: “Young comedians, I think, are all a little bit like schoolboys having a go at it.
“I’ve just produced a show called The Proper Comedians and that has some of the old school guys on there. Everyone has their audience. I don’t entertain British troops anymore because they’re all 18, 19 or 20 years of age and what do they want to see an old man for? They want to see young people; they want to see those young comics in the jumpers and the trainers. Every era has its own sense of humour.
“I didn’t want to be ground-breaking. I just used to see those people in front of me and I thought well I’m going to make you laugh more than you’ve ever laughed before. And that’s what I still try to do.
“I don’t think any comedian in their right mind sets out to offend. I think the offence is taken rather than given.