Huw Edwards named as BBC presenter at centre of allegations

A statement released by Huw Edwards’ wife has named him as the BBC Presenter suspended due to reports of inapt behaviour.

In a statement his wife Vicky Flind revealed Huw Edwards as the BBC News anchor at the centre of several accusations ranging from abusive texts and paying for sexually explicit images. Tonight the Met Police announced that, concerning the photographs, there are no criminal offenses committed with all parties over the legal age of being able to exchange such content.

“In light of the recent reporting regarding the ‘BBC Presenter’ I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family.

“I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.

“Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.

“The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.

“Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published.

“To be clear Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday.

“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.

“I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation. We hope this statement will bring that to an end.”

However Talk TV has questioned on the Vanessa Feltz show about the mental health slant, noting while clearly Edwards is suffering, ‘metal health should never be used to excuse people’s appalling behaviour and it can’t excuse facing consequences of actions’. Vanessa also questioned the lack of any remorse within the statement. Edwards has spoken about suffering from depression in the past.

A timeline of events since Thursday has seen several accusations against the BBC News host including more this evening about alleged concerns of behaviour towards other staff at the corporation.

In 1984, Edwards joined the BBC as a trainee news reporter after doing work experience at commercial radio station Swansea Sound. Two years later, he joined BBC Wales as a Parliamentary Correspondent.

When he fronted the BBC Six O’Clock News between 1999 and 2003, it was the most-watched news programme in Britain.

During his time with the BBC, he covered many key royal events, including Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 2011 wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 wedding and the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

Born on August 18, 1961, in Bridgend, Wales, Edwards was educated at Llanelli Boys’ Grammar School and graduated with a first-class honours degree in French from University College, Cardiff, in 1983. He went on to do a master’s degree at Cardiff University in medieval French.

Although mostly a news reporter, the native Welsh speaker has presented a range of programmes and has hosted events such as the Bafta Cymru award ceremonies and history documentaries on Wales.

He is married to Vicky Flind, who was the long-standing editor of the BBC’s The Week politics show, before leaving the corporation to work on ITV’s Peston On Sunday. The couple live in Dulwich and have five children – Dan, Amos, Hannah, Rebecca, and Sammy.