With mounting evidence against Jimmy Savile and the institutions that chose to protect him, one woman retains an open mind. Janet Cope was the television presenter's PA for 32 years, before he callously sacked her in front of a room full of people with two words 'She's out.' in 2001.

In a very revealing interview, Cope spoke candidly about her ex-boss. She claims to have known nothing of the abuse he inflicted on others, but this doesn't stop her admitting that she feared the man. Her testimony shows him to be a “very, very clever man” with an age complex but emotionless.

“On the face of it, Jim led a celibate, nomadic and simple life which may have disguised a more sordid double life...” she said. “He was always photographed with what he called dolly birds because he was terrified of growing old or being seen as old. Image was vital to him. He was like Peter Pan, forever surrounding himself with youngsters. It was his elixir...”

She added: “He was a very, very clever man and if he could keep something like that covered up he was even more clever than I gave him credit for. And it bothers me now because we rubbed along together for so many years, getting things done together.”

Savile's treatment of cope was seemingly very controlling, The Mirror reports that he would ring for her attention, and she had one to ring back, acknowledging that she heard him.

Ms Cope originally defended Savile against the allegations, calling his accusers 'money-grabbers', but in retrospect Cope said: “He didn’t care if he upset people. Jim had no feeling, no emotions at all... He was a little bit distressed when his mother died but that was the only time I ever saw any emotion. Nothing could hurt him.”

Although everything she said paints a very damning picture of Savile, she finished saying “I am a woman who requires proof and until the proof is shown to me, I will always keep an open mind.”

Jimmy Savile has been accused, posthumously, of repeated sexual abuses of underage girls, and of exploiting his position within the BBC and in the NHS to illicit sexual encounters with under-age girls. An investigation has been launched by both the police and the BBC.