Huw Edwards is the ‘BBC presenter’ accused of paying teen over $45,000 for explicit images
The BBC is investigating allegations that a well-known presenter paid a 17-year-old for obscene pictures, which led to speculation about the identity of the mystery man behind the alleged crime. The charges were made against a well-known BBC presenter, who was not named due to privacy rules in the UK. The absence of identification led to rumors and accusations flying, and certain BBC broadcasters became the target of suspicion. Several people quickly issued statements denying that they were the person in question. Rylan Clark, who is now filming for the BBC in Europe, tweeted that he disliked disappointing “haters,” but the presenter in question was also not him. Jeremy Vine defended himself, writing that he was looking forward to hosting his radio show on Monday.
Huw Edwards, the primary midnight BBC bulletin anchor, issued a statement through his wife, Vicky Flind, stating that he is making this statement on behalf of his husband, Huw Edwards, following five extremely difficult days for their family. Flind said that the last few days had “greatly worsened” things and that Edwards would need in-patient hospital care “for the foreseeable future.” She intends to address the claims against him once he has recovered sufficiently.
The charges against the well-known broadcaster surfaced last week when the Sun revealed that the presenter had paid a young person more than $45,500 in exchange for graphic images starting when the individual was 17. The alleged recipient’s mother told the Sun that she blamed the BBC anchor for ruining her child’s life and that the money was spent on drugs. The mother later claimed to have seen Edwards on the youth’s phone, in a screen image from a video chat in which the presenter is seen “leaning forward, getting ready for my child to perform for him.
The police have confirmed that they have completed their assessment and are not taking any further action. The young person’s attorney told the BBC on Monday evening that “nothing inappropriate” had occurred between the young person and Edwards. Another young person called the BBC on Tuesday, alleging they met Edwards through a dating app and that the anchor allegedly encouraged them to meet up, but they never did. The 20-year-old also said that when they intimated online that they could name the broadcaster, they were bombarded with abusive, expletive-filled messages.
Edwards, a married man with five children, was fired by the BBC on Sunday.