Huw Edwards has turned his hand to poetry. The disgraced former BBC broadcaster, convicted of making indecent images of children in 2024 and given a six-month suspended sentence in September 2024 after admitting to having 41 indecent images sent to him via WhatsApp, shared his first published poem on his recently launched Substack. The 64-year-old wrote the piece for the 2026 National Eisteddfod's Crown competition, inspired by this year's theme, Adnabod (Knowing).
Edwards describes the poem as "above all a personal tribute' to his father", the celebrated academic Hywel Teifi Edwards, who died on January 4, 2010, at the age of 75. Through it, he shares his ongoing grief for his father, but also reflects on his own identity and the public scrutiny he has faced since his downfall.
A poem of grief and scrutiny
In the poem, he accuses the media of distorting his relationship with his father, saying it was "willfully misrepresented by the media", and expresses his distress at this. He presents himself as a troubled figure, burdened by pain, alternating between the "wayward son", the "defenceless son", and the "accursed son".
The poem ends with him portraying himself as the "repentant" and "self-destructive" child seeking forgiveness. Throughout the work, he reflects on the complexity of people, noting that struggles are often hidden and that judgment can come more easily than understanding.
Substack launch and Channel 5 drama
Edwards launched his Substack on June 24 this year, stating his intention to offer commentary, analysis, and make a "positive contribution" following his departure from broadcasting. The launch came shortly after Channel 5 broadcast a drama starring Martin Clunes as Edwards, about the events leading up to his arrest and his subsequent conviction.
In response to the drama, Edwards said it offered a "one-sided account". In a press release, he said: "Other opportunities will arise later this year for me to state my case and to challenge the misleading or fabricated claims made in recent coverage. Serious questions still remain to be answered, and not just by me. It will now take some time for me to produce my own account, and until then, I do not intend to comment any further."
