Huw Edwards, 61, was publicly named as the BBC presenter at the centre of a scandal on Wednesday night, after his wife Vicky Flind issued a statement confirming his identity. The news anchor is accused of paying a teenager £35,000 for sexually explicit photos over three years, starting when the youth was 17. The teen allegedly used the money to fund a crack cocaine habit.
The Metropolitan Police dropped their investigation into the allegations shortly before Edwards was named, stating that 'no offence has been committed' and that they were taking no further action. However, fresh allegations of inappropriate behaviour from BBC colleagues emerged later that evening.
The scandal began when the teenager's mother and stepfather contacted an unnamed police force, claiming the presenter had paid their child for explicit images. The force confirmed it looked into the claims but found 'no criminality was identified'. The family then approached the BBC in person and via phone on May 18 and 19, making a formal complaint that lasted 29 minutes.
BBC director general Tim Davie said the Corporate Investigations Team assessed the complaint and determined there were no allegations of criminal behaviour, but the claims were 'very serious' and merited further investigation. The team emailed the family for additional information but received no response. Attempts to contact them by phone on June 6 were unsuccessful, and the case remained open.
The Sun newspaper contacted the BBC on July 6 about the allegations, marking the first time Davie and senior executives became aware of the case. The source of The Sun's claims was the same family. Davie defended the BBC's handling, saying 'thousands' of complaints are made and verification is 'appropriate'. Edwards' wife revealed he is 'suffering from serious mental health issues' following the claims.
