Where is Ray Teret now? BBC's The Reckoning has viewers asking questions about Jimmy Savile's friend

New BBC drama The Reckoning has left viewers wondering what happened to Ray Teret

Ray Teret photographed in the street
(Image credit: Alamy)
Disclaimer

This article contains content that some readers may find upsetting, including references to rape and sexual assault. 

New BBC drama The Reckoning looks at the life of disgraced TV presenter Jimmy Savile, and viewers want to know where Ray Teret is now, the notorious figure's friend. 

BBC's new four-part drama, The Reckoning, details the double life led by media personality Jimmy Savile. As well as grabbing the attention of viewers, it has drawn criticism for bringing little added value to a story so terrible, making it a difficult watch. Nevertheless, TV fans have questions about the show, including wondering where The Reckoning was filmed.

Meanwhile, much like true crime fans want to know where Alex Murdaugh is now, following Netflix's Murdaugh Murders, and the whereabouts of Arne Cheyenne Johnson now after tuning into the streamer's documentary The Devil On Trial, viewers want to know the current details about other characters who appear in The Reckoning. While most know the fate of Savile, who died before his secret was uncovered and was never prosecuted for his crimes, less is known about his friend Ray Teret. 

Where is Ray Teret now?

Ray Teret died in HMP Manchester aged 79, in May 2021. At about 11.15pm on May 4 that year, Teret was found unresponsive in bed during a routine medical check and pronounced dead in the early hours of the morning on May 5.

A 'do not resuscitate' order was in place when he was found unresponsive, and an inquest into his death heard that Teret's cause of death was 'advanced terminal colon cancer', which he had developed while in prison. 

Ray Teret was serving 25 years in prison at the time of his death. On 8 November 2012, he was arrested at his home in Altrincham, Manchester, in one of two arrests made in connection with an allegation of rape against three women who were children at the time of the assaults. 

However, the arrests were not part of Operation Yewtree, which was the investigation into offences allegedly committed by Jimmy Savile and others.

Who was Ray Teret?

Ray Teret was a DJ from Altrincham, Manchester, and friend and rumoured mentee of former BBC presenter Jimmy Savile. Teret also served as Savile's chauffeur and would carry out other jobs for him - making him known as Jimmy Savile's 'shadow'. 

Teret started working on Radio Caroline North in the mid-60s, where he was reportedly known as 'Ugly Ray'. He met Savile in the early 60s after earning a £5 cash prize for winning a singing contest at the Palace Theatre in Manchester.

In The Reckoning, Ray Teret is played by actor Robert Emms, who is known for his previous roles in Atlantis and Chernobyl. 

A photo of actor Robert Emms

(Image credit: Getty Images)

What did Ray Teret do?

In 2014, Ray was convicted of seven counts of rape and 11 counts of indecent assault, which he carried out during the 1960s and 1970s. His victims were girls aged between 12 and 15.

During the trial, it emerged that Teret had previously been convicted of having unlawful sex with a girl under 16 in 1999.

Meanwhile, he was found not guilty of aiding and abetting Savile in the rape of a 15-year-old girl in the early 60s.

Teret had told jurors that he had no interest in underage girls, and during his trial he repeatedly tried to distance himself from Jimmy Savile, claiming that he did not know about his crimes and that he was not influenced by him.

Speaking after Teret's conviction, Detective Sargeant Carol Barlow of Greater Manchester Police described him as "a devious, manipulative sexual predator".

She said of Teret: ''He abused his celebrity status in the worst way imaginable. The girls he preyed upon were naive and inexperienced and in awe of who he was." 

We've also looked at where Belle Gibson is now, following ITV's documentary uncovering the deception around her cancer diagnosis. Following Depp vs. Heard, we've looked into the whereabouts of both Amber Heard and Johnny Depp now - both have been keeping a low profile in the aftermath of the trial. We've also looked at what happened to Ueli Steck and where Dani Arnold is now - the alpinists featured in Netflix's Race To The Summit.  

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Ellie Hutchings
Family News Editor

Ellie is GoodtoKnow’s Family News Editor and covers all the latest trends in the parenting world - from relationship advice and baby names to wellbeing and self-care ideas for busy mums. Ellie is also an NCTJ-qualified journalist and has a distinction in MA Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and a first-class degree in Journalism from Cardiff University. Previously, Ellie has worked with BBC Good Food, The Big Issue, and the Nottingham Post, as well as freelancing as an arts and entertainment writer alongside her studies. When she’s not got her nose in a book, you’ll probably find Ellie jogging around her local park, indulging in an insta-worthy restaurant, or watching Netflix’s newest true crime documentary.