Vanessa Feltz recalls horrific moment she was 'groped' by Rolf Harris on live TV

Broadcaster Vanessa Feltz told TalkTV about being allegedly groped by disgraced presenter Rolf Harris on The Big Breakfast - after news of the peadophile's death

20:11, 23 May 2023Updated 14:47, 24 May 2023

Vanessa Feltz on Rolf Harris 'ordeal'

Vanessa Feltz has opened up about Rolf Harris' death and the time she was allegedly groped by the sex offender on live TV back in 1996.

The broadcaster took to her daily TalkTV show on Tuesdsay (May 23) to reflect on her horrific-sounding encounter with the disgraced entertainer on Channel 4's The Big Breakfast after he passed away.

Rolf, who died of neck cancer aged 93, was previously jailed for five years and nine months in 2014 after he was found guilty of a 12 counts of indecent assault in incidents between 1968 and 1986.

He was released in 2017 after serving time in HM Prison Stafford, but despite many of his honours being stripped from him, he never apologised to his victims.

[Vanessa Feltz reflected on the time she was nearly sexually assaulted by disgraced paedophile Rolf Harris]

Vanessa Feltz reflected on the time she was allegedly groped by disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris

Vanessa, 61, spoke on Tuesday's (May 23) TalkTV show about the alleged groping that occurred whilst she presenting the defunct breakfast programme back in 1996.

She said: "I was The Big Breakfast On The Bed, presenter following Paula Yates and Lily Savage.

"I was told that morning that my guest was Rolf Harris. I grew up with him, I loved Rolf Harris and the Young Generation so It's Rolf Harris, he's your guest, hooray! Hooray! That was my thought. Great!

"So we crowded into the little tiny bedroom where The Big Breakfast bed ... there's me on it and Rolf Harris next to me and the cameraman, director, and Rolf Harris' wife standing literally a foot away to the side of the bed.

[Rolf Harris was previously jailed for five years and nine months after he was found guilty of a 12 counts of indecent assault]

Rolf Harris was previously jailed for five years and nine months after he was found guilty of a 12 counts of indecent assault(Image: Getty Images)

"We go live, and I'm like, Hello, guess whos on the bed with me today? Its the wonderful Rolf Harris. and I can hear this noise.

"I was always in full evening dress in the morning on the bed. This was the whole idea of it and the noise was my dress being crunched between Rolfs fingers as he started at my ankles and began to bring the dress further and further and further up my legs.

"And you can actually see in one of the pictures me, taking a blue cushion and putting it between us to try to make some space between me and him. And he completely ignored it.

"I can feel my dress coming further and further and further and further up my thighs, past my knees, past my knees up to my thighs.

[The star said she tried to put a cushion in between to make space, but to no avail]

The star claimed she tried to put a cushion in between to make space, but to no avail(Image: TalkTV)

"I didn't know what to do because I knew that I couldn't say, Get your hand off my leg or What the hell do you think you're doing? or Get off me and I also couldn't jump off the bed because I was all mic-ed up and it's a live program. I didn't know what to do at all.

"I couldn't move any further away because you can see I wouldve fallen off the edge of the bed his hand meanwhile was getting closer and closer and closer and closer and closer.

"And then it got to the edge of my pants, my knickers, or whatever. My lingerie, and I knew, that if I didnt do something immediately, it was going to be a proper full-on assault.

[She opened up to fellow TalkTV personality Kevin O'Sullivan on the vile encounter]

She opened up to fellow TalkTV personality Kevin O'Sullivan on the alleged encounter(Image: TalkTV)

"So I did what you're never allowed to do as a presenter ... which is throw to a break when I want to, rather than waiting for the director to tell me a breaks coming up.

"You're never allowed to do that ...But I couldnt afford to wait one more second."

"I didn't say a single word, he didn't say a single word, his wife didn't say a single word and then when we came back after I just got back on the bed and we carried on again."

Watch or listen to Vanessa's drivetime show from Monday to Friday, 4-7pm, on TalkTV and Talk Radio.

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