Huw Edwards has been criticised after revealing he entered a competition at Wales' largest cultural festival. Writing on his Substack, the disgraced BBC newsreader said he had entered a poem at the National Eisteddfod centred on his relationship with his father.
Actress and survivor of child sexual abuse Sera Cracroft said it would have been "catastrophic" if he had won. Edwards' attempt fell far short of winning the competition, with his poem placed in the third rank of entries, according to Newyddion S4C.
Edwards' response
Edwards claimed he knew there was "no way" he was going to win the competition, and described the poem as a "tribute" to his father, intended to correct the "poisonous narrative encouraged by the press" about their relationship.
In 2024, Edwards pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. Some of the images Edwards accessed were the most serious category A type, depicting children as young as seven to nine. He was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and placed on the sex offenders' register for seven years.
Criticism from Sera Cracroft
On Sunday, Edwards published a post on his Substack blog stating he had "attempted to write a poem" for the first time in his life having "drawn inspiration" from the National Eisteddfod. BBC-produced Newyddion S4C said it had received confirmation that Edwards' poem, written under the pseudonym Y Gelyn (The Enemy), had been officially entered.
The National Eisteddfod said it has a process in place which ensures nobody, including the judges, knows beforehand who has competed. Actress Ms Cracroft, best-known for her role in long-running Welsh soap opera Pobol y Cwm, was highly critical of the former newsreader's latest publication.
"Had he won, the image of him being crowned in front of the nation is hurtful to survivors," she said. "Huw has said he is receiving mental health support and to be completely honest, I don't think it's working for him. I'm very, very disappointed that he's done that so soon after being convicted of creating paedophilia online. Some of the images were in the worst category possible." She added it was "far too soon for him to try and redeem himself."
Edwards' return to journalism
In June, Edwards said he had returned to journalism by launching his own Substack. In the opening paragraph of his introduction to the platform, the 64-year-old said he would be "tentatively" offering some commentary and analysis on events. The former newsreader said he knew there would be some people who wouldn't want to read his work but said he was "attempting to rebuild some kind of worthwhile life".
In one of his most recent posts, titled 'On Hatred', he spoke about the hate he receives. He said he felt "abhorrence" towards the offences he committed and admitted to, and stated he was "not a child rapist". He said his "crime was to click on files sent to me by someone else".
Official responses
In response to S4C and the BBC's request for comment, the National Eisteddfod said: "We have a process in place which ensures nobody, including the judges, knows beforehand who has competed. After each Eisteddfod we have a period of appraisal to ensure our processes are appropriate - this year will be no exception."
Edwards said: "The poem was a tribute to my father. Nothing more or less than that. There was no way on earth I was going to win the competition and I knew that. The poisonous narrative encouraged by the press two years ago needed correcting."
Addressing Cracroft's criticisms, he added: "This wasn't a poem for the sickeningly self-righteous Welsh speakers - Sera amongst them - who take advantage of every opportunity to speak unthinkingly on every subject under the sun. She and her type are far too willing to ignore the damaging effects of mental ill health. In that, they are loyal to the heritage of London's tabloid papers."
