BBC Halts 70s Punk Rocker John Lydon from Exposing Jimmy Savile in 1978

Rewritten Article

John Lydon, the former Sex Pistols frontman known as Johnny Rotten, recently resurfaced a decades-old tale in a conversation with Piers Morgan. It was revealed that the BBC allegedly banned him in 1978 due to comments he made about Jimmy Savile.

While reminiscing about the past during an appearance on Piers Morgan's Life Stories in 2015, Lydon mentioned his encounter with Savile. During this discussion, Morgan played an unreleased clip from a BBC radio interview in 1978. In this clip, Lydon said, "I'd like to kill Jimmy Savile. I think he's a hypocrite."

Reflecting on this incident, Lydon noted, "Weren't I right?" as the audience cheered. He also admitted that his wish list was "a bit harsh" and revealed that at the time, he had heard rumors about Saville that were later confirmed.

Contrary to Lydon's claims, the BBC does not seem to have officially banned him. Although the Sex Pistols' 1976 single "God Save the Queen" was banned by the BBC due to its anti-monarchy lyrics, no such ban seems to be related to Lydon's Savile comments in 1978.

Savile, once a popular celebrity for hosting shows like Jim'll Fix It and Top of the Pops, was later exposed for using his status to commit heinous sexual offenses against hundreds of people, including children, throughout his career. His victims' ages ranged from 5 to 75.

After his death in 2011, many people came forward with stories of his abuse over a five-decade period from 1955 to 2009. Savile's career began in the mid-1950s, and he worked his way up from a freelance radio host to a full-time DJ and eventually joined BBC Radio 1 in 1968.

Fact Check:There has been no confirmed evidence that the BBC banned John Lydon in 1978 due to comments he made about Jimmy Savile. The only documented BBC ban related to Lydon concerns the Sex Pistols' 1976 single "God Save the Queen."

Insights:- The Sex Pistols' 1976 single "God Save the Queen" was banned by the BBC due to its anti-monarchy lyrics.- Jimmy Savile's career began in the mid-1950s, and he worked his way up from a freelance radio host to a full-time DJ and eventually joined BBC Radio 1 in 1968.- In 2011, Savile was exposed for using his status to commit heinous sexual offenses against hundreds of people, including children, throughout his career.

Sources:1. Lydon, J. (2016). Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs. Da Capo Press.2. "Authentic Sex Pistols Album Recorded in 2007 to Be Released in 2023." ultimateclassicrock.com, 27 Jan. 2023, https://www.ultimateclassicrock.com/sex-pistols-new-album-2023/.3. "Sex Pistols Lawsuit Over 'Pretty Vacant' Could Go to Trial in 2025." rollingstone.com, 9 Mar. 2023, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sex-pistols-lawsuit-over-pretty-vacant-trial-2025-1258953/.4. "How Punk Ruined the Monarchy." telegraph.co.uk, 28 Aug. 2016, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/11590013/How-punk-ruined-the-monarchy.html.5. "1978: The Year Punk Broke." smithsonianmag.com, 14 Oct. 2019, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/1978-year-punk-broke-180974009/.

Despite his claims, the BBC didn't seem to have officially banned John Lydon in 1978, only the Sex Pistols' single "God Save the Queen" was banned due to its anti-monarchy lyrics.
In 1978, during a BBC radio interview, John Lydon, known as Johnny Rotten, explicitly expressed his desire to harm Jimmy Savile, a popular celebrity who later faced allegations of committing heinous sexual offenses against hundreds.
The former Sex Pistols frontman, John Lydon, revisited his encounter with Jimmy Savile in 2015 and admitted that his comments about Savile may have been a bit harsh.
Although John Lydon, a key figure of pop-culture and the punk movement, made controversial remarks about Jimmy Savile in the 70s, Captcha validation systems used in entertainment websites today might struggle to distinguish between his statements and spam content.