Huw Edwards | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Edwards in 2021 | |
| Born | (1961-08-18)18 August 1961 (age 63) Bridgend, Glamorgan, Wales |
| Education | |
| Occupation | News presenter |
| Employer | BBC (1984–2024) |
| Criminal charge | Making indecent images of children |
| Criminal penalty |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5 |
| Father | Hywel Teifi Edwards |
Huw Edwards (/hɪʊ,hjuː/hiw, hew,Welsh pronunciation:[hɨu]; born 18 August 1961) is a Welshnews presenter. He was the lead presenter ofBBC News at Ten, the late evening news programme of theBBC, from 2003 to 2023. He resigned from the BBC in 2024, during a police investigation intochild pornography offences to which he pleaded guilty.
At the BBC, Edwards anchored coverage of state and international events, and occasionally presented onBBC News at Six,BBC News at One,BBC Weekend News,Daily Politics and the international news channelBBC World News. He presented coverage of major royal events, including thedeath and state funeral of Elizabeth II and thecoronation of Charles III and Camilla. He also presentedBBC News at Five, which was broadcast onBBC News from 2006 until 2020. He was the lead presenter for the2019 general election coverage.
In July 2023, Edwards was suspended by the BBC following allegations of sexual misconduct made inThe Sun. TheSouth Wales Police and theMetropolitan Police found no evidence of criminal conduct. Edwards was hospitalised with depression shortly afterwards, and resigned in April 2024. In July, he pleaded guilty to three counts ofmaking indecent images of children by receiving them during online chats. On 16 September, he was given a six-monthsuspended jail sentence and placed on thesex offenders' register.
Huw Edwards was born on 18 August 1961 inBridgend, Glamorgan, Wales,[1] into aWelsh-speaking family, and, from the age of four, was brought up inLlangennech, nearLlanelli.[2] His father,Hywel Teifi Edwards, was aPlaid Cymru and Welsh language activist,[3] and an author and academic, who was research professor ofWelsh-language Literature atUniversity College of Swansea.[4] Edwards's mother, Aerona Protheroe, spent 30 years teaching at Llanelli'sYsgol Gyfun y Strade.[5] He has one sister, Meinir.[6]
Edwards was educated atLlanelli Boys' Grammar School.[7] In 1978 he applied toHertford College, Oxford, but was rejected.[8] He graduated with a first-class honours degree in French fromUniversity College, Cardiff, in 1983.[9] After his first degree, he started postgraduate work at Cardiff University inMedieval French, before becoming a reporter for local radio stationSwansea Sound and then joining the BBC.[10]
In 2018, Edwards was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, with a thesis onWelsh Nonconformist chapels in Llanelli and London, by theUniversity of Wales Trinity Saint David.[11] His doctoral thesis was titledO Dinopolis i Fetropolis: arolwg o lanw a thrai achosion Ymneilltuol Cymraeg yn Llanelli a Llundain, 1714–2014 ("From Tinopolis to Metropolis: A Survey of the Ebb and Flow of Welsh Dissenting Causes in Llanelli and London, 1714–2014").[12] He said, "It's 12 years since I was here to receive an honorary fellowship which was a great day but today is an even bigger day because I am receiving my PhD after 7 agonising years of hard work on the history of the Welsh chapels in the 18th century."[13]
Edwards spent a short time on work experience at the independent commercial radio stationSwansea Sound, presenting a programme on opera and working as a newsreader.[14][15] He joined the BBC as a news trainee in 1984.[16] Edwards also made regular appearances on the Welsh-language television channelS4C,[17] working as the sub-editor and presenter of the programmeNewyddion Saith from June 1985.[15] In November 1986, he became parliamentary correspondent forBBC Cymru Wales,[15][18] before being promoted to senior political correspondent at BBC News in 1988.[17] From 1994 to 1998, Edwards was the chairman of the S4C current affairs programmePawb a’i Fam (Everyone to his Opinion).[19][20] He fronted the BBC's coverage of the1997 Welsh devolution referendum,[21] and coverage of the1999 United Kingdom local elections in England and Wales.[22][23]
Between 1994 and January 2003, Edwards presented theBBC Six O'Clock News, then the most watched news programme in Britain.[24][25] In January 2003, Edwards became the main presenter of theTen O'Clock News onBBC One, the BBC's flagship news broadcast.[26] He also presented various special programmes such as theFestival of Remembrance.[26] He led the BBC commentary team at the opening and closing ceremonies of the2008 Beijing Olympics,2012 London Olympics and2014 Commonwealth Games. He presented several election specials, including coverage of the2007 National Assembly for Wales election for BBC Wales and the BBC coverage of the results of the2008 United States elections and theinauguration of Barack Obama. He was formerly chief politicalcorrespondent forBBC News, and spent more than 14 years reporting politics fromWestminster across a range of BBC programmes.[26]
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Edwards presented or contributed to a range of other BBC News programmes, includingBreakfast News,One O'Clock News,Newsnight andPanorama. From April 2006 until 2020, he presented theBBC News at Five on the 24-hour BBC News channel. On 29 April 2011, he presented the BBC coverage of thewedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.[27] At its peak, the coverage was watched by 20 million viewers in the UK[28] and the team won aBAFTA Award for Best Coverage of a Live Event.[29][26] In June 2012, Edwards presented the BBC coverage of theDiamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[30] In May 2013, Edwards took over BBC coverage of local elections fromDavid Dimbleby.[31] He presented a special news report for the BBC following the death ofNelson Mandela in December 2013.[32]
Edwards shared the BBC's2015 UK general election coverage with Dimbleby,[33] and contributed to the coverage of the2016 UK European Union referendum.[34] In May 2018, he shared the presentation of the BBC coverage of thewedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.[35] In 2019, he succeeded Dimbleby as the host of BBC election night coverage. and was the lead presenter for the2019 UK general election coverage.[36] In April 2021, he presented the rolling coverage across BBC One, BBC Two, BBC News Channel and BBC World News following thedeath and funeral of Prince Philip.[37]
| External videos | |
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 Announcement of the death of the Queen on the BBC's television channels read by Edwards. |
In August 2021, Edwards toldBBC Radio Cymru he was contemplating his future, saying 20 years of news "can be taxing" and that viewers should "get a change".[38] In January 2022, he joined BBC Radio Cymru as one of five regular presenters for the Sunday morning current affairs programmeBore Sul.[39] On 8 September 2022, Edwards announced thedeath of Queen Elizabeth II,[40] presenting rolling news coverage from around 14:00BST following an announcement fromBuckingham Palace earlier in the day.[41] He presented the BBC's coverage ofher state funeral on 19 September.[42]
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Beyond news, Edwards presented a range of programming on television and radio, including documentaries on classical music, religion and theWelsh language (of which he is a native speaker), and hosted various events such as theBAFTA Cymru award ceremonies.[43] He has presented historical documentaries includingOwain Glyndŵr, theSouth Wales Valleys,Gladstone andDisraeli[44] and a series following the work of theRoyal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.[45] He presentedBread of Heaven with Huw Edwards, a documentary about the impact ofreligion in Wales, which won the 2005BAFTA Cymru for best documentary and nominations in four other categories.[46] In 2006, Edwards made a voice appearance in theDoctor Who episode "Fear Her".[47]
In September 2008, theBBC Trust ruled that a documentary on Welsh politics presented by Edwards,Wales: Power and the People – Back to the Future, had broken the BBC's editorial guidelines. The documentary covered theWelsh Assembly, with Edwards stating: "To achieve its full potential it needs even greater support for the people of Wales than it's received so far ... The more people that take part, the stronger and healthier our democracy in Wales will be." Following a complaint, the governing body concluded that Edwards's words were not objective and even-handed, saying: "It is not the role of BBC presenters to encourage audiences to exercise their right to vote on particular occasions." It was also found that the documentary as a whole was biased against theConservative Party.[48][49]
In 2010, Edwards presentedThe Prince and the Plotter about theinvestiture of the Prince of Wales and the part played byMudiad Amddiffyn Cymru ("Defence of Wales Movement"). He received the Best On-Screen Presenter award at theBAFTA Cymru Awards.[50] In February 2012, Edwards launched a historical documentary series made byBBC Wales,The Story of Wales.[51] That year, Edwards appeared as himself in theJames Bond filmSkyfall, presenting a BBC News report on a fictional attack on the British intelligence serviceMI6.[52]
In 2015, Edwards presented a history of theWelsh colony in Patagonia—in English and Welsh versions—to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the colony's establishment.[53] In December 2018, he was a guest ofMary Berry in BBC One'sMary Berry's Christmas Party.[54] In December 2022, he was the narrator for theBBC Four programmeOrgan Stops: Saving the King of Instruments.[55]
Edwards earned £550,000–£599,999 as a BBC presenter for several years. His salary was reduced voluntarily in the light ofgender pay differences found within the BBC.[56]Press Gazette announced his new salary as £520,000–£529,999 as of July 2018.[1] His salary was reduced to £465,000 as of May 2019,[57] and reduced further to £435,000–£439,999 in July 2023.[58] It was raised by £40,000 between April 2023 and April 2024, when he resigned from the BBC "on medical advice". By then, he had been suspended for nine months over allegations inThe Sun newspaper that he had been paying a young person for sexually explicit photos.[59]
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In March 2011, Edwards openedSwansea University's "Hoffi Coffi" cafe in the library, created to support the aims of Academi Hywel Teifi, named after his father who spent his academic career at the university. He gave a speech in Welsh as he unveiled a mural of a poem by Tudur Hallam, Professor of Welsh at the university and winner of theChair in the previous year'sNational Eisteddfod; Edwards called it a moving tribute to his father, who had died in January 2010.[60][61]
In 2003, Edwards was made a Fellow of theUniversity of Wales and in 2007 he became Honorary Professor of Journalism atCardiff University.[62] In 2005, he was appointed Patron of theNational College of Music and in October 2008 he was appointed President of the London Welsh Trust which runs theLondon Welsh Centre.[63] In April 2009 he was elected vice president, later Pro Chancellor, of Cardiff University for four years.[64][65] He was honorary President of London'sGwalia Male Choir from 2005 to 2016,[66] and was a vice president of theNational Churches Trust[67] until his removal from the position in 2024 after his sexual misconduct charges.[68]
In 2020, Edwards criticisedThe Times for printing a story dismissive of the use of the Welsh language. He responded to comments inThe Times written by the scientistMichael Pepper in which it was suggested that his late colleagueJohn Meurig Thomas wrote notes in Welsh purely to stop others from reading them; Edwards said that Welsh speakers do not "use our native language in our daily lives simply to thwart others".[69] In 2021, he criticised the former journalistMax Hastings for saying that Welsh was of "marginal value" and that Wales could not succeed as an independent country because it was "dependent on English largesse".[70]
On 5 July 2019, Edwards was awarded a fellowship of theRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama.[71] Edwards is also an amateur organist, taught to play at a chapel inLlanelli, and occasionally played at theJewin Welsh Presbyterian Chapel inClerkenwell, north London.[72]
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In 1993, Edwards married Vicky Flind, a television producer, whose credits include editingThis Week andPeston.[73][26][74] They lived inDulwich, London,[26] and have five children.[75] In July 2024 it was reported that Edwards and Flind had separated some time ago and that Edwards had been living elsewhere.[76] Flind reportedly filed for divorce after Edwards's sentencing.[77]
Edwards is a Christian who, as of 2013, attendedPresbyterian Church of Wales services in Welsh.[78] He led a campaign to save the historic Jewin Presbyterian Church, London's oldest Welsh chapel.[79]
He said he has had bouts of clinical depression since 2002.[80]
On 7 July 2023,The Sun reported that a well-known BBC presenter had paid a teenager more than £35,000 from when the teenager was 17 years old in return for "sordid images". The story was based on allegations by the mother and stepfather of the teenager. A lawyer representing the young person said nothing inappropriate or illegal had taken place, and that the teenager and mother were estranged.[81][82][83] On 12 July, Edwards's wife named him as the subject and said that he was receiving hospital treatment for depression.[84][85]
Shortly before Edwards was named, theMetropolitan Police reported that it had found no evidence of crime and would not investigate further.[86]The Sun stated that it had never alleged criminality on the part of Edwards, whichThe Guardian described as backtracking.[87]The Sun also said it would cooperate with the BBC's internal investigation and would not publish further allegations.[86] Edwards was provided the results of the BBC's inquiry on or before November 2023 and was not reinstated.[88] In January 2024, he was reported as too unwell to discuss his employment with the BBC.[89] In April, he resigned from the BBC on "medical advice".[90] After Edwards's criminal conviction in July 2024, the young person said he believed Edwards hadgroomed him.[91]
On 29 July 2024, the Metropolitan Police stated that Edwards had been charged with three counts ofmaking indecent images of children (i.e. receiving digital copies), the legal definition of which includes actions such as downloading images or receiving them through email or social media, even when unsolicited.[92][93] The charges involved images allegedly shared in aWhatsApp chat between December 2020 and April 2022, comprising sixcategory A images, 12 category B images and 19 category C images.[94] Two of the category A images "showed a child aged between about seven and nine".[95]
Edwards was sent 377 sexual images, of which 41 were indecent images of children, by Alex Williams, a man fromMerthyr Tydfil. On 15 March 2024, Williams received a 12-monthsuspended sentence after pleading guilty to possessing and distributing category A, B and C images.[96][97] Edwards was arrested on 8 November 2023, and charged on 26 June 2024 following authorisation from theCrown Prosecution Service. He pleaded guilty to all of the charges atWestminster Magistrates' Court on 31 July.[95][98]
Following Edwards's conviction, the BBC began removing his appearances from some of its archive footage.[99] TheDoctor Who episode "Fear Her", featuring his voice, was removed fromBBC iPlayer, and his voice may be removed from the BBC's coverage of Elizabeth II's funeral and Charles III's coronation.[100] A mural of Edwards in his hometown ofLlangennech was painted over, and a plaque honouring him atCardiff Castle was taken down.[101]Mark Lawson wrote inThe Guardian that Edwards's conviction would "rank as one of the greatest British public plunges from success and celebrity".[102]
In August 2024, the BBC announced that it had asked Edwards to return more than £200,000 of the salary paid after his arrest in November 2023. TheChair of the BBC,Samir Shah, said Edwards had acted in bad faith by continuing to draw his salary.[103] On 16 September 2024, Edwards was given a six-month prison sentence,suspended for two years, and placed on thesex offenders' register.[104] He was also ordered to attend asex offender treatment programme and pay £3,128 in costs andvictim surcharge.[105] Edwards' sentence was calculated byChief Magistrate Paul Goldspring based on an initial one year imprisonment. Three months were deducted for mental health reasons and due to it being Edwards' first offence. A third of the sentence was also deducted due to Edwards' early guilty plea, bringing the sentence down to six months.[106]
Edwards' defence barrister, Philip Evans KC, said that his client wished "to apologise to the court" and those he had hurt.[107]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003–2023 | BBC News at Ten | Presenter |
| BBC News at Six | ||
| BBC News at One | ||
| BBC Weekend News | ||
| BBC News channel | ||
| 2006 | Doctor Who | Commentator; Episode: "Fear Her"[47] |
| 2011 | Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton | |
| 2012 | Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II | |
| 2015, 2019 | General election coverage | Co-presenter and later lead presenter |
| 2016 | 2016 European Union membership referendum coverage | Co-presenter of BBC coverage |
| 2018 | Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | |
| 2021 | Funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | Presenter of BBC coverage |
| 2022 | Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II | |
| Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II | Presenter of BBC coverage | |
| Wales: Who Do We Think We Are? with Huw Edwards | Presenter[108] | |
| 2023 | Coronation of Charles III and Camilla | Presenter of BBC coverage |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Skyfall | Himself | Cameo |
| Year | Award | Representative work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | BAFTA Cymru | Best Onscreen Presenter | Won | |
| 2002[109] | Won | |||
| 2003[43] | The Exchange | Won | ||
| 2004[110] | The Story of Welsh | Won | ||
| 2005[46] | Won | |||
| 2010[50] | The Prince and the Plotter | Won | ||
| 2012[111] | Llanelli Riots – Fire in the West | Nominated | ||
...vice-pres Cardiff Univ 2009 (pro-chllr 2013)...
The National Churches Trust said Huw Edwards was no longer vice president for the charity.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, "making" an indecent image has been broadly interpreted by the courts. [...] In the case of Edwards, he received the illegal images as part of a WhatsApp conversation. Mr Evans said his client had not "created" the images "in the traditional sense of the word".
| Media offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Main Presenter ofBBC News at Six 1999–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Main Presenter ofBBC News at Ten 2003–2023 | Succeeded by TBA |
| Preceded byas host until2017 | Host of BBC Election Night Coverage 2019 | Succeeded by |
| New show | Main Presenter ofBBC News at Five 2006–2020 | on hiatus |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
