Ulrika Jonsson has claimed that the late Rolf Harris, a convicted sexual offender, groped her when she was 21 years old and in the early stages of her career.
Australian entertainer Harris died on 10 May at the age of 93. He was famous for his music and painting talents, which he showcased on TV, before being convicted of a string of sexual assaults in 2014.
Jonsson, 55, wrote in her column for The Sun newspaper on Saturday that the incident allegedly occurred when Harris appeared as a guest on a show she was working on.
He appeared on the former ITV breakfast programme TV-am, where Jonsson worked as a weather presenter at the time.
She wrote: “The studios were laid out such that it was impossible not to bump into guests during the live show. I felt quite enamoured to be introduced to him. This was Rolf Harris, for goodness sake.
“I reached out my hand and he chose instead to embrace me. I remember thinking that was either really flattering or a bit forward. Either way, it was confusing.”
The Swedish-British presenter and model continued: “Then his hand travelled down to my bum, gave it a few squeezes and stayed there for what felt like years but it was probably only 30 seconds.
“But it was long enough for my 21-year-old self to feel deeply uncomfortable and speechless. I know I won’t have been the only one who fell victim to his hands.”
Jonsson said that people “didn’t pipe up or call anyone out” at the time the incident allegedly took place, particularly if they were big celebrities.
“We may have come a long way in making that kind of behaviour unacceptable but we still have miles to travel,” she added.
Last week, Vanessa Feltz also claimed she was groped by Harris during a live TV interview she was presenting for Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast in 1996.
Speaking on This Morning, the 61-year-old broadcaster said that she and the crew were crowded “into a tiny little bedroom where The Big Breakfast bed was” and Harris was next to her, while Harris wife was “literally a foot away to the side of the bed”.
She said she felt a “crunching” sensation” and realised that Harris was allegedly pulling her dress “further and further up my legs”.
“I was absolutely shocked,” Feltz said. “If I didn’t do something [his hand] was literally going to go inside my underwear.”
Harris became one of 12 people arrested in England as part of Operation Yewtree in 2013, which was launched in the aftermath of the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal.
He was charged with multiple counts of indecent assault against young girls and women between the Sixties and Eighties.
In 2014, he was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison after he was found guilty of all 12 counts of indecent assault. He was released in May 2017, after serving three years of his sentence.
Harris was stripped of all his honours following his conviction, including his CBE, OBE, MBE, and Membership of the Order of Australia.
Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)
