Martin Clunes Reveals Cut Scene from Huw Edwards Drama as He Defends Biopic
Martin Clunes has disclosed which specific scene was excised from his contentious Channel 5 drama centred on Huw Edwards, where he portrays the disgraced former BBC newsreader. The actor, aged 64, takes on the role of Edwards in the new Channel 5 programme titled Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards. Edwards, also 64, received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was placed on the sex offenders register in 2024 after admitting to creating indecent images of children.
Cut Scene Details and On-Air Discussion
Just hours before the drama's release, Martin Clunes addressed a moment that did not make the final cut during an appearance on Tuesday's Good Morning Britain. He spoke with hosts Ed Balls and Susanna Reid, revealing that the removed scene involved Edwards referencing the judge's summing up during his sentencing. Clunes paraphrased, stating, "There was a bit that never made the cut where he also talked about the judges' summing up where he says, I paraphrase, but, 'There's no doubt you are one of the most famous people in the country and there's no doubt your career is in ruins,' and I think that made it into the sentencing."
Ed Balls then questioned whether this constituted punishment enough, to which Clunes responded, "Kind of." Balls argued that many viewers might disagree with the idea that Edwards' career warranted different treatment compared to others who have committed similar crimes. In response, Clunes brought up the unnamed individual who sent Edwards the images, noting that this person received a similar suspended sentence despite not being a newsreader. Clunes remarked, "No, but the other guy, who was sending him those images, he got suspended sentence and he wasn't a newsreader. I don't know. That's the law, I don't know how it works."
Clunes' Approach to Portrayal and Edwards' Response
Martin Clunes, best known for his role as Martin Ellingham in the ITV comedy-drama Doc Martin, emphasised that there was no place for personal judgement of Edwards in his performance. He explained, "I had to get behind the script. Judging it wasn't on my list of things to do that day. Standing back and saying 'This is a terrible man, doing terrible things...' - that's not my task, it's to try and inhabit what the script gives me." Clunes added, "You're dealing with a question of attraction. I am not attracted to the things Huw Edwards was, but I know about attraction, so you just sort of swap."
Edwards was placed on the sex offenders' register for seven years in 2024 after a court heard numerous WhatsApp exchanges with a man later convicted of sex offences. In these exchanges, Edwards was offered "naughty" images of somebody described as "yng (sic)", to which he replied "go on". Earlier this week, Edwards broke his silence on the drama, criticising Channel 5's approach. He stated, "[They] made no attempt to check with me the truth of any aspect of their narrative before going ahead with the production." Edwards continued, "They belatedly asked for a response after the drama had been made, while reserving the right to edit any such response. They also refused to disclose whether any of those making allegations had been paid for their contributions. Channel 5’s ‘factual drama’ is hardly likely to convey the reality of what happened."
Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards airs on Channel 5 at 9pm tonight.
