The BBC host suspended from his role after allegedly paying a teenager for sexually explicit images has been identified as a legendary newsreader who anchored the broadcaster’s coverage of key national events including the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III’s coronation.
On Wednesday, Huw Edwards was named as the host involved in claims first reported by The Sun newspaper from the unnamed teen’s mother saying that the BBC anchor had paid around $45,000 for the images since 2020, when the recipient of the money was just 17. The tabloid did not disclose the identity of the journalist, saying only that they were a “household name” in Britain. With confirmation that the allegations are about Edwards—one of the most well-known and celebrated figures in British journalism—the BBC is facing one of the most damaging scandals in its 100-year history.
Edwards was named by his wife, Vicky Flind, after days of intense speculation. In a statement, Flind said she was identifying him “primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.”
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“Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues,” the statement continued. “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.”
She added that Edwards would respond to the stories once he is “well enough to do so” and said he is “deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Scotland Yard said it had concluded its assessment into the matter and had not found evidence that a criminal offense had been committed. The Metropolitan Police have therefore advised the BBC it can resume its own internal investigation which the force had initially asked to be paused while officers conducted inquiries.
On Monday, a statement from a lawyer representing the young person allegedly paid in exchange for sexual images said the mother’s claims in The Sun were “rubbish,” and that there was “no truth” to the stories. The attorney added that “nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place” between their client and Edwards, and that The Sun had run the first article last week despite the young person informing the newspaper that their mother’s allegations were “totally wrong.”
Edwards, 61, is not just the anchor of the BBC’s flagship news show. He’s also the man the broadcaster trusted with some of the most important and sensitive moments in British life. Rumors circulated that he could be in line for a knighthood as thanks for his unimpeachable coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s death and the state funeral days later.
Announcing the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch may have been the pinnacle of Edwards’ achievements with the BBC, but he has collected a dizzying array of other accolades over the course of his four-decade career with the national broadcaster. His distinctive Welsh accent has provided the soundtrack to royal weddings–including those of Princes William and Harry–Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, multiple national elections, the inauguration of American presidents, and countless other examples of the most widely watched moments on British television.
Consequently, he has also remained one of the BBC’s top-paid stars.
The shocking nature of the accusations was severe enough to prompt several prominent BBC figures over the weekend to publicly deny frenzied social media speculation that they may be the star involved. Edwards, who has five children, offered no such denial.
Questions have also already been asked of the BBC itself. Since the Jimmy Savile scandal—in which it was revealed that one of the corporation’s biggest names had gotten away with being one of the worst sex offenders in modern British criminal history—it seems unthinkable that the broadcaster would ever risk delay in acting upon allegations of serious wrongdoing against one of its most well-known stars.
In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, however, the mother of the teen allegedly paid by Edwards said she had complained to the BBC about his alleged behavior in May, and was dismayed to see him still on the air a month later. The British government encouraged the BBC to deal with the allegations “urgently and sensitively” over the weekend as some lawmakers questioned why the presenter had not been taken off air as soon as the allegations came to light—he has since been suspended.
The BBC said in a statement the same day that while it had been made aware of a complaint in May, it wasn’t until last Thursday that new allegations “of a different nature” had been received. It was the latter allegations that apparently led to Edwards’ suspension.
The mother also told The Sun that she had been a fan of Edwards, and so instantly recognized him when she saw a photo of him “sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear” on her child’s phone. She also claimed that her child had used the cash from Edwards’ alleged payments to fund a crack cocaine addiction.
On Sunday, the tabloid claimed Edwards rang the woman’s child—now 20—and asked “What have you done?” after the allegations came to light. He also allegedly asked the young person to call their mother in an effort to “stop the investigation.”
