Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has scheduled an urgent conversation with BBC Director Tim Davie after the BBC revealed it was aware of Huw Edwards' arrest back in November but still opted to pay him a significant salary, which peaked at £479,000 this year. Huw Edwards, 62 and previously the highest-earning newsreader at the BBC, entered a guilty plea to three charges involving the production of indecent images of minors, having received 41 such illegal images from convicted offender Alex Williams, with seven categorized as the most severe.
Following his guilty plea, the BBC disclosed that it had received confidential information about Edwards' arrest, which occurred on suspicion of serious offenses, and that he was released on bail while investigations were ongoing. At that point, he had not faced any formal charges, and the BBC claimed it was also informed of a considerable risk to his health. Edwards eventually resigned in April after unrelated accusations surfaced, claiming he had paid a young person for sexually explicit photographs, and the resignation was reportedly based on medical advice. Nandy's meeting with Davie is anticipated to focus on evaluating the BBC's actions regarding this situation.
10 Comments
Coccinella
It’s commendable that the BBC is willing to have this conversation. They need to address these challenges head-on.
Muchacho
The media landscape is evolving, and the BBC needs to adapt. This conversation is exactly what is needed.
ZmeeLove
The BBC’s decision to keep Huw Edwards on payroll is a disgrace. They failed to protect the integrity of their organization.
Habibi
It's shocking that the BBC ignored serious allegations against one of their top earners. They should be ashamed!
Africa
Lisa Nandy needs to take more decisive action. This isn't just a conversation; it's about accountability!
BuggaBoom
It’s good the BBC is being scrutinized. They need to reflect on their processes to prevent this from happening again.
Katchuka
The BBC is a public institution; they have to be careful with how they handle sensitive matters. I trust they will do better.
KittyKat
Letting someone like Edwards continue to earn that salary while knowing about his arrest sends the wrong message.
Eugene Alta
It’s essential that we focus on rehabilitation and accountability. Sometimes people do make serious mistakes.
Loubianka
How could Tim Davie justify keeping Edwards on staff? This is a fundamental failure of leadership at the BBC.