The BBC spoke to Huw Edwards about his online conduct two years before he was named as the presenter who had been suspended by the corporation in a scandal, it’s been claimed.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the newsreader had resigned from the broadcaster after 40 years ‘on medical advice’.
In a statement, the BBC said at the time: ‘Huw Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC. After 40 years of service, Huw has explained that his decision was made on the basis of medical advice from his doctors,’ the announcement read.
‘The BBC has accepted his resignation which it believes will allow all parties to move forward. We don’t believe it appropriate to comment further.’
The news of Edwards’ resignation came after he was suspended by the BBC in July 2023.
He was suspended following allegations that he paid more than £35,000 to a young person who sent him sexually explicit images.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that there was no evidence to suggest that a criminal offence had been committed.
A second young person claimed that they were sent expletive-filled abusive messages from Edwards, while a third alleged that the broadcaster broke lockdown rules to meet them.
Furthermore, it was alleged by Newsnight that Edwards sent ‘inappropriate’ and ‘suggestive’ messages to junior BBC employees, but the messages were not deemed to be criminal.
In a new report, it’s been alleged that in May 2021, a woman in her 40s contacted the BBC after Edwads and her exchanged messages on Instagram and over email.
According to The Sunday Times, who claim to have seen a confidential report, the woman asked for the BBC to take action to put a stop to the messaging, with Edwards informed of the complaint ‘within hours’.
It’s been alleged that the woman withdrew her complaint after being contacted by the newsreader. His representatives reportedly said that he was unable to comment on the ‘unsubstantiated’ allegations.
The BBC reportedly ‘spoke to Huw about his actions and his social media use’ at the time. While it was understood that Edwards and the woman were to stop communicating, they then began communicating again, it’s been claimed.
Almost a year later in January 2022, the woman is said to have made a second complaint to the BBC, before retracting it once again.
According to the report, Edwards had a meeting with the BBC in February 2022 over ‘further concerns’ being raised, outlining ‘that contact with you should now cease’.
The Sunday Times reported that the BBC said: ‘More generally, when dealing with non-editorial complaints we have longstanding and robust processes in place.
‘We will always seek to handle any such issues with care, fairness and sensitivity to everyone concerned, but, as we have set out, there will always be a limit to what can be said or shared about such processes.’
In July 2023, Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, issued a statement on his behalf, saying that he was ‘suffering from serious mental health issues’.
‘In light of the recent reporting regarding the “BBC Presenter” I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family,’ she said at the time.
‘I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.
‘Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.
‘The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.
‘Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published. To be clear Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday.’
Flind continued: ‘In the circumstances and given Huw’s condition I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected.
‘I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation. We hope this statement will bring that to an end.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted the BBC and Huw Edwards’ lawyer for comment.
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