BBC Speaks To ‘Newsnight’ Journalists Amid Staff Concern Over Huw Edwards Investigation

The UK’s influential Culture, Media & Sport Committee has written to both the BBC and The Sun over investigations into Huw Edwards and Dan Wootton.

Naman Ramachandran In the aftermath of the Huw Edwards matter, where the top BBC presenter was accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit photographs, a U.K. parliamentary inquiry has demanded further information from the corporation and Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid The Sun. The Sun broke the news that a then unnamed anchor, subsequently revealed as Edwards, had been taken off air while the BBC investigated allegations he had paid a teenager over £35,000 ($44,500) in exchange for explicit photographs since they were 17. On Tuesday, the U.K. House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee wrote to The Sun editor Victoria Newton asking about editorial procedures and details about the newspaper’s story verification and decision-making processes and to Elan Cross Stephens, acting BBC chair, requesting further details about the reviews into wider BBC processes the corporation is carrying out in light of the allegations and its plans to publish the findings.

EXCLUSIVE: The BBC has defended the high volume of coverage it dedicated to the scandal involving Huw Edwards, the British broadcaster’s highest-paid news presenter.

Ellise Shafer The BBC has published its terms of reference for the review of its non-editorial complaints process following last week’s Huw Edwards scandal. The review will be led by BBC Group COO Leigh Tavaziva and Deloitte, under the direction of Simon Cuerden. It is set to commence this month and will be completed by late fall. “The objective of the review is to assess the effectiveness of the current BBC policies and processes regarding non-editorial complaints and allegations (complaints) which come into the BBC,” according to a press release. “The review will cover complaints received by the BBC Public Service or World Service in the U.K. It will not cover the editorial complaints process. Areas of the BBC not currently within scope, e.g. BBC Studios, will be considered for assessment as part of the action plan from this review.”

The acting chairwoman of the BBC has told peers that there was “huge pressure” on the corporation to name Huw Edwards as the presenter caught up in a controversy.

Naman Ramachandran BBC director general Tim Davie and acting chair Elan Closs Stephens answered searching questions from the U.K. Lords Communications and Digital Committee on Tuesday on the corporation’s funding model. The BBC’s main source of revenue is annual license fee of £159 ($202). The BBC annual report, which was published last week revealed that the number of people who bought a license fee fell by 500,000 to 24.3 million. Consequently, BBC revenues dipped from £3.8 billion to £3.74 billion. The license fee, which is currently frozen for two years, is set to rise significantly in April 2024. It emerged on Tuesday morning that a review into the BBC funding model could be ordered this fall. “The evidence that there is a growing unwillingness to pay is shown by figures each year. The licence fee model is becoming unsustainable,” the London Times said, quoting a government source.

The BBC has been in touch with the family of the person at the centre of allegations surrounding presenter Huw Edwards, according to Tim Davie.

The BBC has drafted in a senior partner from Deloitte to help with its high-profile review into protocols following the Huw Edwards scandal, which Tim Davie revealed should complete in the late Autumn.

EXCLUSIVE: BBC employees failed to express complete confidence in the corporation’s bullying and harassment processes just weeks before the Huw Edwards scandal plunged the corporation into turmoil.

Jeremy Vine has agreed a financial settlement with a Twitter user who falsely identified him as the BBC presenter at the centre of the Huw Edwards furore.

Journalists and other personnel at BBC News remain divided over the organisation’s treatment of the story concerning its most senior news anchor Huw Edwards – identified on Wednesday as the presenter at the centre of allegations of spending thousands of pounds on sexual pictures. 

Rita Ora was left red-faced during her appearance on BBC Breakfast today after she accidentally addressed a presenter as Huw Edwards in a blunder.

Huw Edwards fans have rushed to support him after it was revealed he is currently in the hospital battling with mental health problems.

TV personality Richard Madeley says he feels 'deeply sorry' for BBC presenter Huw Edwards after he was named at the centre of an alleged explicit images scandal.The Sun newspaper broke the allegations that claimed a BBC presenter paid a teenager £35,000 in exchange for explicit images.The teenager's mother claimed that she saw a picture of the presenter on her teenager's phone "sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear". On Tuesday, July 12, Huw Edwards was named by his wife Vicky Flind as the BBC star that was investigated over the scandal.

The BBC’s main primetime news presenter Huw Edwards and his family are receiving advice from former News of the World tabloid editor Andy Coulson, The Guardian reports. 

Last week, news broke in UK media outlets about a BBC broadcaster who allegedly paid £35,000 to a 17-year-old for sexually explicit photos. The scandal, which was first reported

Messages of support have been shared for the wife of newsreader Huw Edwards after he was named as the BBC presenter facing allegations over explicit images. Vicky Flind revealed his identity in a statement released on Wednesday night.

BBC News viewers rushed to social media to show their support to Cliver Myrie after appearing to spot him getting emotional after his colleague Huw Edwards was named as the high-profile star facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images.

BBC News viewers have shared their support for Clive Myrie after the presenter was seemingly moved to tears during a segment about the Huw Edwards scandal.On Wednesday (July 12), Edwards was revealed as the suspended presenter, after it was claimed that an notable BBC employee had paid a young person £35,000 for sexually explicit images.Following the allegations, the Met police confirmed that there was no evidence of a crime being committed. Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, later released a statement on his behalf.In the statement, Flind said that her husband was “suffering from serious mental health issues” and “is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future”.Edwards’ colleague Sophie Raworth announced the news on BBC News at Six, which was later discussed by Myrie.Myrie began: “He is one of the most recognisable faces on British television, anchoring national and international events often from this very chair.“But tonight, Huw Edwards, the lead anchor of the BBC’s News at Ten, has been revealed as the man at the centre of allegations over the payment of thousands of pounds to a young person for explicit pictures.”He continued: “After what have been five extremely difficult days, Huw Edwards has not resigned from the BBC.”As Myrie presented the story, viewers noted that he appeared to be tearful.I'm sure I saw tears in Clive Myrie's eyes tonight.

Huw Edwards' career is likely to survive the frenzy of allegations against him, one crisis management expert has said.

The BBC has resumed its investigation into the allegations against one of their presenters, which has now been revealed is newsreader Huw Edwards, after the Metropolitan Police said no criminal offence had been committed. It comes after they were asked to pause their internal inquiries by the police force whilst officers decided if there was any justification for a criminal investigation - which they have decided against.This decision means that the BBC are free to resume its own protocol, with Director general Tim Davie saying they will "assess how some complaints are red flagged up the organisation." While the investigation will look into Huw Edwards' conduct.