CMCI’s Dr Richard Howells was called to give instant expert live reaction to Sky TV News about family entertainer Rolf Harris’ conviction on 12 counts of indecent assault between 1968 and 1986. Dr Howells said that in addition to the effect it obviously had on his victims and indeed Harris himself, there was a “collective loss of innocence” when such a formerly well-loved family entertainer such as this was found to have been leading a sexual double life. Howells hoped, however, that such verdicts would not lead to a wider public belief that no-one in the entertainment industry, social or public life was ever worthy of trust.
His comments were picked up by LBC’s “Nick Ferrari at Breakfast” programme, which saw Dr Howells speak further about the “illusion of friendship” that surrounds the celebrity-public relationship. This made it all the more painful when someone you knew –or more realistically thought you knew- turned out to have had a darker side.
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