TV magician Paul Daniels said it was “impossible” to tell in the 1970s if girls who hung around entertainers were over the age of consent, due to the way they dressed.
In extracts from his blog printed in The Sun and the Daily Mail on Monday — though now removed from his website — Daniels said he felt “sick” after one passionate encounter with a girl who later revealed she was still at school.
The 74-year-old illusionist had his own television series, “The Paul Daniels Magic Show”, on BBC1 from 1979 until 1994.
Reacting to the Jimmy Savile sex abuse claims, Daniels recounted in his blog an incident in 1969 when, aged 30, he picked up a hitch-hiker while driving home after completing his first summer season as a professional magician in Newquay.
“A mini-skirted girl was thumbing a lift,” he wrote.
“I gave her a lift and drove on into the night whilst the more-than-slightly tiddly girl moaned on about her boyfriend ignoring her in the pub that night and that she would get own back on him.
“Oh goodie for me, I thought and when we got to her town I kissed her goodnight and it got a bit more passionate. Thank God it didn’t get too passionate because something she said sent a shiver down my spine.
“Another question and she said she was still at school.
“I had her out of the car as fast as I could and I drove off with the lights off so she couldn’t see my number plate! I felt sick.”
He said maybe the scare was a good thing a s it made him ask what jobs women did before anything went too far.
Daniels said women were throwing themselves at entertainers back then and it was tough to tell what age they were.
“The super-short mini-skirts, the teetering high heels, the full slap (make up) made it, as I say, impossible,” he said.
“I think most people would agree that still applies today and maybe more so.
“Did I have such a life? Yes. I would be lying if I said I didn’t. Were they all over 16? OMG I hope so. Can I remember them? No.”
He said the problem for police investigating the claims against Savile and others were that they were dealing with allegations that in some cases dated back decades.
“Life back then was a blur and therein lies a major problem with what is going on now. It was 35 to 40 years ago. How the hell can you say you did or didn’t?”
Paul Daniels says 'impossible' to tell 1970s groupies' ages
