International TV Co-Editor
How was Huw Edwards caught? | How did the Huw Edwards scandal develop?
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Dramatic scenes in court: There was an audible gasp in the packed Westminster Magistrates courtroom as former newsreader Huw Edwards, seen in public for the first time in almost a year, pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, including seven incidents of the most serious charge involving minors. Max arrived early at the court to find a media crowd gathered for what was sure to be one of the most high-profile hearings of the year. Edwards entered through the front, appearing calm and wearing dark sunglasses, and our man had to do a double take as he walked Edwards past his solicitor once they had entered the building. Most had only expected the former BBC newsreader to read out his name and address and his pleas were met with shock. His solicitor and the prosecution subsequently issued brief statements summarising their arguments and Edwards will now be sentenced on September 16. Until then, he is free on conditional bail and in the meantime, due to "unpredictable" protests outside the courthouse, it was agreed that Edwards' full speech would not be read out and that he would be allowed to move between houses during the bail period. The fall of a man trusted to lead the BBC's general election coverage and announce the Queen's death is nothing short of remarkable. His life and career have been shattered and he could face a lengthy prison sentence. Read more about what happened in court here, including more information about the charges.
Tough questions, partial answers: Since news of Edwards’ charges broke earlier this week, the BBC has been bombarded with questions from the media about why the newsreader was allowed to keep his job for five months after his November 2023 arrest. The BBC had remained tight-lipped ahead of the hearing, but finally broke its silence on Wednesday afternoon to admit that it was in fact aware of his arrest. It stressed that he would have been dismissed immediately if he had been charged before April, but no charges had been brought and the situation was being weighed against the “significant risk to his health”. As a reminder, Edwards quit working for the BBC last summer after allegations were published in The Sun that he had paid a young person thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images. Those allegations are unrelated to the charges he faced in court yesterday. The timing couldn’t be worse for the BBC, coming just a week after it revealed that Edwards had earned his biggest paycheck in five years and while the ripples of the Strictly Come Dancing scandal are still being felt. It was no surprise that DG Tim Davie dodged an invitation to appear on Today radio yesterday morning. Questions remain about how much the BBC knew, what processes were and are in place, and whether it will now seek to claw back some of the £200,000 ($255,800) Edwards earned in the period following his arrest.
