The BBC has resumed its investigation into Huw Edwards after the newsreader was identified by his wife as the BBC presenter at the heart of a sex scandal
The family of Huw Edwards are receiving crisis management advice from former News of the World editor Andy Coulson, it has been reported.
David Cameron’s former Downing Street communications chief, who was jailed for phone hacking in 2014, is understood to have helped the broadcaster’s wife, Vicky Flind, to release the statement that named Mr Edwards as the figure at the centre of the BBC scandal.
It comes after former BBC journalists criticised the broadcaster’s coverage of the allegations against the newsreader, branding it a “disgrace” and “distasteful”.
Speaking on their podcast The News Agents, Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel questioned why staff, who claimed they had been sent “inappropriate messages by the newsreader, had not informed HR. It came after it was reported that BBC journalists were already working on a potential expose about Mr Edwards, before The Sun published allegations he paid a teenager for explicit images.
The 61-year-old is receiving treatment in hospital for his mental health. Meanwhile, police concluded no criminal offence had been committed by Mr Edwards, allowing an internal BBC investigation to resume.
Union boss hits out at ‘disgraceful’ coverage of Huw Edwards scandal
The media will “hound and chase everybody” if it suits their agenda, a union boss has said in the wake of the Huw Edwards scandal.
Mike Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, called for more protection for the “individual” as he criticised coverage of the story, describing it as a “disgrace”.
“I think these things should be treated with caution and discretion – I don’t want to be involved in other people’s misery,” he told Politics Joe.
“Obviously I want young people, children and others protected in our society. But I’m not here to be a judge and jury on that situation.”
He added: “I think the press in this country is a disgrace. They will hound and chase everybody that they can if they think it suits their agenda.
“I just think everyone should calm down and let the responsible people deal with the issues under the procedures and the laws and the regulations that we’ve got.”
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said Sir Keir Starmer should be putting left-wing policies forward (Lucy North/PA)
(PA Wire)
Matt Mathers15 July 2023 10:45
Ex-Sun editor says newspaper faces ‘crisis’ over BBC scandal as Huw Edwards ‘furious’ over coverage
A former editor of The Sun has accused his former newspaper of “inflicting terror” on BBC presenter Huw Edwards.
Mr Edwards was identifed by his wife on Wednesday night as the presenter facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images, first reported in The Sun last week.
After the Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police both said on Wednesday no criminal offence has been committed, the newspaper said it “had no plans to publish further allegations” and argued it was now a matter of the BBC to investigate.
Jane Dalton and Laura Harding reports:
Matt Mathers15 July 2023 10:12
ICYMI: Dan Walker and Elizabeth Day among stars sharing compassion for presenter
Dan Walker, David Baddiel and Elizabeth Day are among those who have shared their thoughts on the discussion surrounding Huw Edwards, after the BBC presenter was named as the person facing allegations over payments to a teenager for sexually explicit images.
After days of speculation over the presenter’s identity, on Wednesday (12 July), Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, said the newsreader is “suffering from serious mental health issues” and is now “receiving inpatient hospital care where he will stay for the foreseeable future”.
Matt Mathers15 July 2023 09:22
Recap: BBC presenter scandal timeline as Huw Edwards revealed as suspended star
It has been one week since the story about BBC presenter Huw Edwards broke.
Below we set out a timeline of how the story has developed since then.
Tara Cobham and Holly Evans report:
Matt Mathers15 July 2023 08:30
BBC journalists ‘working on more potential stories’ about Huw Edwars
BBC journalists are reportedly working on more stories about Huw Edwards despite opposition from his colleagues about a Newsnight investigation.
Some of Mr Edwards’s colleagues have criticised the “really aggressive” reporting against the news presenter.
But sources at the corporation have told The Guardian more stories could be on the way.
(BBC)
Matt Mathers15 July 2023 07:30
Huw Edwards: BBC presenter scandal timeline
The wife of newsreader Huw Edwards has revealed he is the presenter in the middle of the BBC scandal.
Vicky Flind said her husband was in hospital “suffering from serious mental health issues” after facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images.
The BBC is facing increased pressure after fresh claims emerged about the presenter, with The Sun reporting a 23-year-old has claimed Mr Edwards broke lockdown rules to meet them during the pandemic in February 2021.
The family of a young person, who was 17 when the presenter allegedly started payments back in 2020, complained to the BBC and became frustrated when the presenter stayed on air. They reportedly asked the broadcaster to stop the man “sending the cash”.
The BBC said it became aware of new allegations against the male presenter.
Tara Cobham and Holly Evans report.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar15 July 2023 07:30
All the allegations made against BBC presenter
Suspended BBC presenter Huw Edwards is facing several allegations against him after being accused last week of paying a young person for sexually explicit photos.
The Sun first reported allegations against an unnamed presenter on Friday, claiming a top BBC star had paid a young person tens of thousands of pounds for explicit images.
The young person’s mother made the allegations in the Sun newspaper, which published her claim that payments helped fund her child’s crack cocaine habit.
The first allegations against Mr Edwards emerged in The Sun on Friday. The newspaper – which did not name the presenter in their story – alleged the presenter paid a young person around £35,000 for sexually explicit images. It also claimed the BBC star appeared in his underwear in a video call.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar15 July 2023 06:45
BBC boss faces grilling in parliament over Huw Edwards claims
BBC director general Tim Davie will be questioned in parliament about the corporation’s leadership, after mental-health charities called for Huw Edwards to be given support and treatment.
The corporation is facing questions over why it did not take allegations against its most highly paid news presenter more seriously sooner.
Some BBC News journalists had reportedly started work on a potential exposé about the newsreader before The Sun reported claims about him allegedly paying a teenager for explicit images. Sources said Newsnight host Victoria Derbyshire had been examining accusations about Mr Edwards’s conduct, the website Deadline claimed.
Mr Davie, acting chairperson Dame Elan Closs Stephens and policy director Clare Sumner will appear before the Lords communications committee on Tuesday.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar15 July 2023 06:15
BBC speaks to ‘Newsnight’ team amid staff concern over Huw Edwards probe
The BBC has spoken to Newsnight journalists involved in investigating Huw Edwards after staff flagged concerns about being approached for information regarding the presenter’s conduct.
Newsnight was accused of “profiling” potential Edwards sources by going through the list of people he follows on Twitter and identifying BBC employees who may have had allegations to share, Deadline reported.
A handful of BBC staff members were contacted by Newsnight after the show claimed that Edwards allegedly sent “inappropriate” and “suggestive” messages to junior BBC employees. “It’s really distasteful,” said a BBC insider told the news outlet.
Presenter Victoria Derbyshire on an episode of Newsnight earlier this week reported that two current BBC employees allegedly received messages from Edwards as well as one former employee.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar15 July 2023 05:45
Viewers want Huw Edwards back on screen – Mirror poll
At least 53 per cent of viewers want Huw Edwards back on the BBC News at Ten if he is cleared by bosses of serious wrongdoing, a poll conducted by the Mirror has found.
Only 32 per cent of the people surveyed felt he should not be allowed to continue.
Among 45 to 64-year-olds, more than 60 per cent backed his return from suspension over the allegations.
A large number of Edwards’ colleagues also want him to be reinstated as the bulletin’s presenter, according to the Mirror.
Of those quizzed, 51 per cent said the BBC had handled the situation “quite badly” or “very badly”.
Only seven per cent said they had dealt with it “very well”.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar15 July 2023 05:00
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