Huw Edwards – latest: BBC bosses warn staff against ‘damaging’ gossip about suspended presenter

Former BBC journalist describes corporations coverage of story as ‘distasteful’

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

BBC bosses told staff in an email that “gossip will not be tolerated” amid speculation over the Huw Edwards scandal, it has been reported.

Staff at the BBC were warned that speculating about what had happened would damage the corporation.

“The purpose of the email was very clearly to contain the situation and stop BBC staff fuelling the fire that had been blazing since the story broke,” a source told the Mirror.

Earlier, friends and peers of Huw Edwards have rallied behind the BBC presenter as a poll shows viewers want him back on air after a sex pictures scandal.

Former BBC journalists Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, who now work at Global, were among those to have criticised the corporation’s coverage of the affair.

On their Newsagents podcast, Ms Maitlis described the BBC’s coverage as a “bit distasteful” while Mr Sopel said there was a “weirdness” about it.

Key Points

• BBC bosses warn staff against ‘damaging’ gossip
• 52 per cent want Edwards back on air - poll
• Former BBC journalists blast corporation’s reporting as ‘disgrace’
• Ex-News of the World editor advising presenter’s family
• Huw Edwards faces fresh claims as BBC resumes probe
• Presenter’s wife’s statement in full
• Newsreader who broke Queen’s death to nation now at centre of sex scandal

[15 July 2023 08:30 · Matt Mathers]

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:

[15 July 2023 07:30 · Matt Mathers]

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)

[15 July 2023 07:30 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

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.

May 19

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”.

July 6

The BBC said it became aware of new allegations against the male presenter.

Tara Cobham and Holly Evans report.

[15 July 2023 06:45 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

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.

More details here.

[15 July 2023 06:15 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

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.

More here.

[15 July 2023 05:45 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

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.

[15 July 2023 05:00 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

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”.

[15 July 2023 04:27 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Mick Lynch calls British press a ‘disgrace’

Union boss Mick Lynch has called the British press a “disgrace” and called for more regulations in the wake of the BBC presenter scandal.

He said the rules should be tightened to “protect the individual” as he claimed the media will “hound and chase everybody that they can if they think it suits their agenda”.

The RMT general secretary told Politics Joe: “I think these things should be treated with caution and discretion, I don’t want to be involved in other people’s misery.

“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. 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.”

[14 July 2023 22:30 · Holly Evans]

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.

[14 July 2023 21:30 · Holly Evans]

How was the story reported and what will be investigated now?