Huw Edwards, one of the top newsreaders in the UK, was identified on Wednesday by his wife as the BBC broadcaster who had been fired over claims of receiving payments for pornographic photographs.
One of the highest-paid personalities on the network, the veteran BBC anchor has been in charge of leading coverage of some of the greatest events in UK news in recent years, including royal weddings, elections and the 2012 Summer Olympics.According to a statement provided to BBC News, Vicky Flind, Edwards’ wife, said she was speaking on his behalf after days of speculation “primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children” and that he was being treated in the hospital for “serious mental health issues.”
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The announcement followed a statement from London’s Metropolitan Police that there was no evidence of a crime being committed. “Huw has significant mental health problems. He has just had treatment for serious depression, as is generally known,” Flind added. He has experienced another critical episode and is currently getting inpatient hospital care, where he will remain for the foreseeable future. The events of the last few days have significantly deteriorated the situation.
None of the accusations made against Edwards during the past week were covered in length by the statement. Flind expressed her hope that the denial would put an end to recent media rumours regarding other BBC broadcasters. “In the circumstances and given Huw’s condition I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected,” the statement said. She also said Edwards “was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday” and that he intends to respond “once well enough to do so.”
The scandal, which has dominated British headlines this week, came to light when The Sun tabloid revealed on Friday that a mother had accused a presenter who was not identified of paying for sexually explicit photos taken by her teenage child, who was 17 when contact first began and is now 20. Following the revelation, the BBC suspended “a male member of staff” and stated in a statement on Sunday that it first learned of the complaint in May. A lawyer for the young person at the centre of the scandal denied the assertions made in The Sun, calling them “rubbish,” in a letter to the BBC, amid the hysterical speculation about the presenter’s identity.
Police stated that after investigating the situation, they had “found no information to suggest a criminal offence has been committed. This week, the host was the subject of new allegations, according to BBC News, which stated that a second unnamed person had come forward with complaints. The police stated in a statement on Wednesday that they were aware of “media reporting” about the further charges, but “no specific details or information about these allegations have been passed to us and therefore there is no police action at this time.”