Rolf Harris created a song about the ‘injustices’ he experienced following his incarceration for sexually abusing young girls.
After relocating to the UK in the 1950s, the Australian-born performer became a ‘national treasure’ in the UK, where he forged a career as a musician, singer-songwriter, composer, comedian, actor, painter, and television personality.
Harris was detained as part of the Operation Yewtree police inquiry after the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal emerged in late 2012.
He was convicted two years later of sexually assaulting four minor females, one of whom was his daughter’s lifelong closest friend.
A new documentary named Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight examines his rise and collapse, with the second episode featuring a stunning letter written by Harris while incarcerated.
The latter was delivered by the disgraced entertainer to his old promoter Chris Brosnan, also known as Bear, who reads it to the camera.
He explained that when he read it for the first time, he was ‘shocked’.
‘He says, “dear Bear, well, I’m finding it extraordinarily difficult to write, but at last the inner rage has come to the fore. I’ve started writing a song about all of the injustice and here’s how it goes…”,’ he said.
The lyrics then read: ‘Climb up out of the woodwork babe from 40 years ago.
‘The climate’s great in Britain now for making lots of dough.
‘You festered down there long enough, time’s right to grab your chance.’
It concluded with the line: ‘Clap eyes on rich celebrity and make the bastard dance.’
Brosnan expressed his anger, saying it was evident Harris was attempting to portray himself as the “victim.”
‘For me, it was repulsive. It made me absolutely realise that there was no remorse,’ he said.
‘And in it, there’s also a tone of revenge.’
Harris was sentenced to five years and nine months in jail in July 2014, at the age of 84, on twelve charges of indecent assault on four female victims throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
After nearly three years in prison, he was granted a licence in 2017.
Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight is now streaming on ITVX.
