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No Further Action - The Truth Behind the Smile: The True Story of the Craziest Year of My Life
On 2 January 2013, just a day before Jim Davidson was due to enter the Celebrity Big Brother house, he found himself behind far more serious locked doors when he was arrested by the Yewtree detectives over alleged sex offences. Twelve months later, the public voted to crown Jim Davidson as the winner of the latest series of Celebrity Big Brother. Finally, with all charges dropped and no further action being taken - and with the public offering him their staunch support - Jim can finally look back on his year from hell.Facing a series of damaging false allegations, Jim was forced to fight, not just for his reputation and his career, but for his freedom too. Mounting legal costs and a deepening sense of injustice saw Jim sink to the lowest point of his career as the Yewtree investigation threatened to ruin him both financially and emotionally. Finally, after months of pain came the words he and his supporters had been waiting to 'No Further Action'.Now, with the public's approval, Jim reflects on this painful period with the regular dose of wit and humour that have made him so successful. Searingly honest, No Further Action pays tribute to those who stood by him and takes a wry look at what life is like under investigation in the public eye.'YOU CAN'T FAIL TO BE MOVED BY THIS STORY' -Daily Express
- GenresNonfiction
414 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2014
9 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Jim Davidson
7 books2 followersJim Davidson is an English comedian and presenter. He is also a stand-up comedian and writer, developing adult pantomime shows.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 19, 2019
Amazing Read
Everyone knows Jim Davidson as one of the most controversial people on the planet, but this story proves how different he actually is, fair play to the man who defied all the odds and made the shittest year of his life have a fairy tale ending, if anyone has not seen him live yet, get and do it now, you will not be disappointed.
Everyone knows Jim Davidson as one of the most controversial people on the planet, but this story proves how different he actually is, fair play to the man who defied all the odds and made the shittest year of his life have a fairy tale ending, if anyone has not seen him live yet, get and do it now, you will not be disappointed.
May 12, 2017
At the start of October 2012, a documentary aired on British television that was to traumatise and unbalance the country's psyche: the programme alleged that Jimmy Savile, a popular entertainer and "national treasure" who had died the year before, had been a prolific sex offender against children. It was suggested that his status as a household name had protected him from prosecution.
In response to the claims, the Metropolitan Police announced Operation Yewtree, which began as an investigation into Savile but very soon became a general inquiry into "historic" allegations of sex abuse against celebrities. Arrests and interviews under caution followed, and in some cases the end results have been convictions that most reasonable people would regard as safe. However, there is also plenty of evidence that – as with Operation Midland, which emerged out the same milieu and which I discussed here – police have been overzealous and credulous in pursuing false allegations. When the police came for the comedian Jim Davidson at the end of 2012, he was told by an officer that "We must take these accusations seriously no matter how flaky they are."
No Further Action is Davidson's diary of 2013, for most of which he was under investigation. Davidson was not accused of sex abuse against children, but of sex attacks on women, including rape. The book chronicles the investigation, as well as its effects on his mental wellbeing, his marriage, and his career. However, there are also a number of asides and reminiscences. In March 2013, his SAS friend Fred Marafono died, and this prompts a long digression about a trip to Sierra Leone in his company; and perhaps inevitably – Davidson is known to lean rightwards – the death of Margaret Thatcher the following month leads to fond recollections of encounters with the then Prime Minister. To his chagrin, he was not invited to Thatcher’s memorial service; Simon Weston in particular was indignant on his behalf.
The book opens and closes with the television series Celebrity Big Brother; Davidson was due to in at the start of 2013 at the personal request (insistence, even) of Richard Desmond; and he was cleared of the allegations in time to go in at the start of 2014. His account of his time on the programme is something of a coda, but it’s entertaining (on Lionel Blair: "I wondered why I hadn't kept in touch. Within a week I'd have my answer") and the fact that he won is a satisfying resolution after a year during which he faced the potential ruination of his reputation.
A couple of observations about dealing with the police stand out. At one point, he laments that “The complainants can bend and distort the truth, as they already have. I, however, cannot. The truth is all I have. In a way it must be easier to be guilty, as you can try to plan a way out. All I have is the hope that the police and the CPS will see that it is the truth."
He is also frustrated when he debunks details provided by one accuser, only for the complainant to then amend her testimony. This creates a grim dilemma: is it better to give the police your defence, in the hope that the matter will be dropped, or will that just mean that the complainant will simply withdraw parts that that can be disproven? Is it better to instead wait for court, where the complainant’s flawed evidence can be dismantled in front of a jury? There are attractions to what he calls "the long game" – but also risks, not to mention great expense. Davidson opts to get it over with as soon as possible.
Davidson is not afraid to talk of the “Jimmy Savile witch-hunt”, or to express sympathy for the guilty – watching the elderly presenter Stuart Hall on TV being led into court in handcuffs, he regards the scene as “cruel and medieval”.
In response to the claims, the Metropolitan Police announced Operation Yewtree, which began as an investigation into Savile but very soon became a general inquiry into "historic" allegations of sex abuse against celebrities. Arrests and interviews under caution followed, and in some cases the end results have been convictions that most reasonable people would regard as safe. However, there is also plenty of evidence that – as with Operation Midland, which emerged out the same milieu and which I discussed here – police have been overzealous and credulous in pursuing false allegations. When the police came for the comedian Jim Davidson at the end of 2012, he was told by an officer that "We must take these accusations seriously no matter how flaky they are."
No Further Action is Davidson's diary of 2013, for most of which he was under investigation. Davidson was not accused of sex abuse against children, but of sex attacks on women, including rape. The book chronicles the investigation, as well as its effects on his mental wellbeing, his marriage, and his career. However, there are also a number of asides and reminiscences. In March 2013, his SAS friend Fred Marafono died, and this prompts a long digression about a trip to Sierra Leone in his company; and perhaps inevitably – Davidson is known to lean rightwards – the death of Margaret Thatcher the following month leads to fond recollections of encounters with the then Prime Minister. To his chagrin, he was not invited to Thatcher’s memorial service; Simon Weston in particular was indignant on his behalf.
The book opens and closes with the television series Celebrity Big Brother; Davidson was due to in at the start of 2013 at the personal request (insistence, even) of Richard Desmond; and he was cleared of the allegations in time to go in at the start of 2014. His account of his time on the programme is something of a coda, but it’s entertaining (on Lionel Blair: "I wondered why I hadn't kept in touch. Within a week I'd have my answer") and the fact that he won is a satisfying resolution after a year during which he faced the potential ruination of his reputation.
A couple of observations about dealing with the police stand out. At one point, he laments that “The complainants can bend and distort the truth, as they already have. I, however, cannot. The truth is all I have. In a way it must be easier to be guilty, as you can try to plan a way out. All I have is the hope that the police and the CPS will see that it is the truth."
He is also frustrated when he debunks details provided by one accuser, only for the complainant to then amend her testimony. This creates a grim dilemma: is it better to give the police your defence, in the hope that the matter will be dropped, or will that just mean that the complainant will simply withdraw parts that that can be disproven? Is it better to instead wait for court, where the complainant’s flawed evidence can be dismantled in front of a jury? There are attractions to what he calls "the long game" – but also risks, not to mention great expense. Davidson opts to get it over with as soon as possible.
Davidson is not afraid to talk of the “Jimmy Savile witch-hunt”, or to express sympathy for the guilty – watching the elderly presenter Stuart Hall on TV being led into court in handcuffs, he regards the scene as “cruel and medieval”.
June 18, 2025
Interesting if you are interested in Operation Yewtree, the investigation into historic sex crimes committed by other UK celebrities in the light of the Jim Saville investigations.
Very much a stream of consciousness diary about Jim’s alcohol intake, his marital issues, police interviews, meetings with British veterans, name dropping, Celebrity Big Brother.
It’s interesting because several allegations came out against him but they couldn’t be proven and seemed to be groundless and spurious.
It’s interesting to see how someone from a humble background ingrained themselves within The Establishment through their fame and work with veteran’s charities.
It made me wonder how much Operation Yewtree was a smokescreen to distract from the police’s bad handling of Jimmy Saville during his life.
If you are interested a little bit of his story, you’ll get more out of some interviews than from this book. If you are interested in the depths of Jim Davidson's mind then this is the book for you. In some ways it was a big thankyou letter to all those who helped him during this time.
Given that the police took "No Further Action", he did suffer financially due to dropped performances and bad press.
A cautionary tale is that if you are in the public eye like him, you had better have a private diary so that you can provide evidence of where you were at any time in the past in case allegations are made against you. The fact that his accusers were proved wrong about basic details of the locations where the assaults were made led to them being deemed untrustworthy.
Very much a stream of consciousness diary about Jim’s alcohol intake, his marital issues, police interviews, meetings with British veterans, name dropping, Celebrity Big Brother.
It’s interesting because several allegations came out against him but they couldn’t be proven and seemed to be groundless and spurious.
It’s interesting to see how someone from a humble background ingrained themselves within The Establishment through their fame and work with veteran’s charities.
It made me wonder how much Operation Yewtree was a smokescreen to distract from the police’s bad handling of Jimmy Saville during his life.
If you are interested a little bit of his story, you’ll get more out of some interviews than from this book. If you are interested in the depths of Jim Davidson's mind then this is the book for you. In some ways it was a big thankyou letter to all those who helped him during this time.
Given that the police took "No Further Action", he did suffer financially due to dropped performances and bad press.
A cautionary tale is that if you are in the public eye like him, you had better have a private diary so that you can provide evidence of where you were at any time in the past in case allegations are made against you. The fact that his accusers were proved wrong about basic details of the locations where the assaults were made led to them being deemed untrustworthy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2019
This book outlines the horrific year for Jim Davidson and his family after Operation Yewtree went completely crazy in targetting historic sexual cases against celebrities; Jim being a target. This book documents the ups and downs, the annoyance of one a complainant changing her story after Jim told the police it couldn't have been the theatre she said it was. Jim's humour manages to shine through and I remember watching Celebrity Big Brother the year he appeared on it and finding him humble and likeable.
December 10, 2023
I read this on Kindle and absolutely enjoyed the humour that ran through this book. As it was about such a serious subject and the way it made Jim feel and the fallout of such disgusting allegations, Jim was able to get his point across in such a way that it makes the reader think while still keeping to the Jim we see on stage. It was sad, hard to read at times but through the whole book Jim was able to keep the spirits up and I was very pleased with the outcome and the book was amazing.
December 5, 2019
This is a heartwarming book by Jim. Operation Yewtree!! The stress and strain he and his wife must've gone through is told in the book but it still seems impossible to imagine. His wife loves him very much for it to have not affected their relationship in the long run....i watched him in Big Brother and had a huge respect for the guy and I'm so pleased he won... Karma Jim! X
September 3, 2023
Interesting
I once had a lesser but similar experience and the author has my sincere sympathy.
If ghost written he was captured well, if not he’s more literate than he sounds—typos aside.
A good book for those interested in fame.
I once had a lesser but similar experience and the author has my sincere sympathy.
If ghost written he was captured well, if not he’s more literate than he sounds—typos aside.
A good book for those interested in fame.
September 22, 2017
Accused of rape due to the Yewtree investigation my the Metropolitan police 👮, who were arresting anybody who was famous and trying to force a conviction on them.
Why do women make false accusations, is it just the money or their 5 minutes of fame. It is cruel and I believe they have no idea the many lives they make suffer because of their accusations. As it was just not Jim Davidson who suffered it was his wife and family.
Jim is very lucky to have had so many loyal friends and fans who believed the charges against him were false. The damage was still done though. I don’t believe any of the women were charged for making Jim‘s life a misery and wasting police time.
Why do women make false accusations, is it just the money or their 5 minutes of fame. It is cruel and I believe they have no idea the many lives they make suffer because of their accusations. As it was just not Jim Davidson who suffered it was his wife and family.
Jim is very lucky to have had so many loyal friends and fans who believed the charges against him were false. The damage was still done though. I don’t believe any of the women were charged for making Jim‘s life a misery and wasting police time.
April 10, 2020
An easy and enjoyable read with some chuckles along the way. Jim’s infectious personality shines through for all his fans out there. Recommended.
December 7, 2014
As 2012 draws to a close Jim Davidson is waiting to go on Celebrity Big Brother in an attempt to revive his flagging career, his older brother falls ill, his dog dies and he learns via the press he's being investigated by Operation Yewtree. To make matters worse at the start of the new year, the day before entering the Big Brother house, he ends up in a cell.
Regardless of how you view Davidson it's worth suspending your prejudices and reading this book. First because in parts it's very funny. Second it provides an inside, and quite disturbing, look at a police investigation from the point of view of the accused. Third it will shake your faith in the 'innocent until proven guilty' basis of British justice.
It's written in a rather chippy style which can become a bit wearing and at times it borders on rant. You can almost forgive the latter given that Davidson was faced with some absurd allegations which the police seemed determined to pursue regardless of the facts.
Whether or not there has been an establishment witch hunt in the wake of the Jimmy Savile revelations is open to question. However, this book will certainly make you question the workings of the justice system and - although you may not be persuaded to like him - you'll come away with a new found respect for Jim Davidson.
Regardless of how you view Davidson it's worth suspending your prejudices and reading this book. First because in parts it's very funny. Second it provides an inside, and quite disturbing, look at a police investigation from the point of view of the accused. Third it will shake your faith in the 'innocent until proven guilty' basis of British justice.
It's written in a rather chippy style which can become a bit wearing and at times it borders on rant. You can almost forgive the latter given that Davidson was faced with some absurd allegations which the police seemed determined to pursue regardless of the facts.
Whether or not there has been an establishment witch hunt in the wake of the Jimmy Savile revelations is open to question. However, this book will certainly make you question the workings of the justice system and - although you may not be persuaded to like him - you'll come away with a new found respect for Jim Davidson.
Read
August 5, 2015I have just read this book and found it interesting. despite the fact that he and I are from the polar ends of the political spectrum he is a honest man as far as I can find.
I grew up watching him and found him funny then even with the smutty jokes. he seems to take people at face value and finds it difficult to say things about people because of the political correctness. I never thought during the year of which this is written that he was anything like some of the people who were being arrested
I grew up watching him and found him funny then even with the smutty jokes. he seems to take people at face value and finds it difficult to say things about people because of the political correctness. I never thought during the year of which this is written that he was anything like some of the people who were being arrested
December 3, 2014
Regardless of whether you like Jim Davidson’s style of comedy, once you’ve read this book you begin to see him as more human. He details the year that he spent on bail as a result of allegations made by women to the police, and the lengths that he had to go to, in order to prove his innocence, and the toll that it took on him and his family.
I won’t say any more, but before people start trying to toast me over a bonfire, read this book, and draw your own conclusions.
I won’t say any more, but before people start trying to toast me over a bonfire, read this book, and draw your own conclusions.
January 4, 2016
Do or don't I like death dear old Jim??
Hmmm you sometimes feel sorry for Jim - but he is his own worst enemy ... some things need to be read between the lines ... I still don't know whether I like him or not but very pleased he won CBB.
Hmmm you sometimes feel sorry for Jim - but he is his own worst enemy ... some things need to be read between the lines ... I still don't know whether I like him or not but very pleased he won CBB.
September 19, 2014
Read this book in under 24 hours, the whole thing had me hooked!
Even though this is a difficult subject to be writing about, Jim's humour shines through and I found myself laughing out loud
Even though this is a difficult subject to be writing about, Jim's humour shines through and I found myself laughing out loud
March 28, 2015
Loved this frank account of the horrible period Jim went through.Brilliantly written .
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews