'To me Jimmy Savile was a good man': Sir Tom Jones reveals his shock over former Top of the Pops presenter's paedophile revelations as he credits his career to him

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Sir Tom Jones has revealed how Jimmy Savile was 'instrumental' in launching his pop career, adding: 'To me, he was a good man.' 

The 75-year-old told BBC Radio 5 Live that the paedophile entertainer had given him 'great advice' about how to break into the music industry when they first met in a London hotel.

He added that he was 'shocked' when revelations emerged about Savile's history of sexual abuse because he did not think he was 'creepy' enough to be a paedophile. 

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'She hit me': Sir Tom Jones revealed his wife of 58 years hit him when she read about his infidelities in the newspaper - his revelation came to light during an interview on BBC Radio 5 on Tuesday 

Not impressed: 'She was more upset that other people were seeing this thing, than herself,' the 75-year-old said of his wife (pictured with him in Los Angeles last year) 

Speaking to Sarah Brett and Dan Walker on Afternoon Edition, he said: 'He always liked teenage girls, as long as they were over 16, which of course is legal.

'And you would always see him around with young girls. When you see someone like that, you would never think he was a paedophile because of the way he handled himself.

'You always think of paedophiles as being like creepy people – well maybe to some people he did look a bit creepy - but he was a bit of a Jack The Lad with young girls.'

Sir Tom also said he 'never saw' anything untoward or suspicious when he performed on TOTP.

'For a start, you  have to be over 16 to dance, so where was it going on? I was shocked when it all came out,' he added. 'To me, Jimmy Saville was a good man. But who knows?'

The veteran singer told the programme how he had met Savile when he was still trying to break into the music industry and did not even have a record contract. 

Savile, who was working at Decca Records at the time, apparently told a young Sir Tom how to approach record companies and also advised him to make his first demo 'a hot one'. 

He said of the incident: 'You see, she actually physically hit me. A few times. Dave Perry, my bodyguard, who was in school with me got out of the room. Mark, our son, did as well'

He said: 'He promised to take (the demo) into Decca and then he said: "Look it's up to you". He told me to make sure the first track was a hot one and I did Breathless.

'And from that I got a recording contract with decca, so it was thanks to Jimmy Savile.' 

During the interview, Sir Tom also revealed that his wife Linda, attacked him when she discovered he had been unfaithful, after she found out about it in the paper.

The singer said that while she never discussed the singer's infidelities with him, reading about it proved too much for her.

'She was more upset that other people were seeing this thing, than herself,' the 75-year-old told the show's hosts. 

Discreet: Tom said that his wife has been willing to overlook some of his other indiscretions, saying: 'We never talk about it. It never comes up. She would say, "As long as I don't read things or see things..."'

'We've always been rock solid. She knows me better than anyone else. But she was upset and that upset me. She beat me up. 

'You see, she actually physically hit me. A few times. Dave Perry, my bodyguard, who was in school with me got out of the room. Mark, our son, did as well. 

'I stood against the wall and she beat the c**p out of me and I took it. I knew I was wrong and she was right.' 

Tom, who claims to have been with 250 women at the height of his fame, said that his wife has been willing to overlook some of his other indiscretions. 

He said: 'We never talk about it. It never comes up. She would say, "As long as I don't read things or see things..."  

'I was misquoted': Tom Jones insisted on Friday during an interview on Radio 2 with Chris Evans that his words were 'taken out of context' after he was criticised for claiming his wife of 58 years had 'lost her spark'

Adding: 'Our love is so strong and you can overlook anything when it's like that because you don't want it to change. 

'I do feel bad. Yeah, of course. Things have happened in the past, but I'm older and wiser now hopefully. I think she's happy about that.'

Despite his affairs, Tom says he has only been in love once in his life and that's with Linda. 

He said: 'For the first and only time in life, I fell in love. I've never had that feeling with anyone else. That's it, forever. 

'I did fall in love, not lust. I still am and thank god, she's still with me.'

Tom also talked about his legions of female fans which have been with him since he hit the big time with It's Not Unusual, which was released in 1965.

'She always understood,' he said. 'She's a fan of mine as well. Sometimes she would come to shows and would see what's going on there. 

'She said, "I don't blame these women, I would do myself it I wasn't married to you, I would be throwing things at you."  

'She's got emphysema': The 75-year-old explained that he was only reiterating his wife Linda's words

She would say, "As long as you come home to me... I married Tommy Woodward, not Tom Jones." I always remember that.' 

The latest interview comes after Tom came under fire after he made an observation about Linda. But during an interview on Friday, Tom Jones insisted that his words were taken out of context.

Stating that he was 'misquoted', he explained that it was in fact his better half Linda who said she had 'lost her spark'. 

Speaking to Chris Evans on Radio 2, Tom said: 'Well I was misquoted you see, as usual, but it wasn't so much from the book, it was in Times Magazine.'

'They only took half the sentence': Jones didn't deny uttering the words but said the full story was missing

He continued: 'They were asking about my wife and I said "Well you know my wife, she's got emphysema and she doesn't go out much anymore and she said she doesn't think she looks as good as she used to".

'And I said "Well none of us do", and then I said "She feels she's lost her spark".'

Keen to clear up the issue, Jones asserted he was only reiterating something Linda had said in the past and that his full statement was not published.

He added: 'The way it came out in the magazine was "My wife doesn't look like she did, she has a heavy depression", which I didn't say. I just said that she's a nervous person and she always has been and "she's lost her spark" like I'm saying it now.

'She was saying it and I'm saying no. They only took half the sentence, you see that's the problem.'

Putting the story to bed, Tom admitted: 'I can't say I didn't say it, but I didn't say it in that context.' 

In an interview with the Sunday Times last week to promote his autobiography, the former judge of The Voice described Linda, also 75, had become increasingly reclusive in recent years.

'I've realised she's had a depression since she was young,' he told the Sunday Times Magazine. 'She's always had a touch of it.'

He added: 'I don't think she really enjoyed getting out and about, and I think she was happy with being in the house.'

Sir Tom said that these days, while he takes pride in his appearance and buys expensive clothing, Linda has aged from the beauty she once was. ‘Linda is the love of my life, and she still is, even though she doesn’t look like she did. I don’t look like I did either, but I try my best. She’s lost her spark.’

The comments led to a furious backlash online as tweeters hit out at the veteran singer branding him 'selfish' and calling his words 'cutting and painful'.

Sir Tom’s book, Over The Top And Back: The Autobiography, is released on Thursday. 

Out and about: Tom is currently doing the rounds promoting his autobiography, Over The Top And Back