BBC ‘warned Huw Edwards over online conduct two years before scandal which saw him taken off air’
THE BBC warned Huw Edwards over his online conduct two years before the scandal which saw the newsreader taken off air, it was claimed last night.
A confidential report seen by the Sunday Times said a woman, in her late 40s, got in touch with the BBC in May 2021, after exchanging messages with Edwards.
She requested the corporation intervene to halt contact. The presenter, 62, was told “within hours” by a BBC manager, it is claimed.
But the woman retracted the complaint after she was allegedly contacted by Edwards.
The report also found the woman made a second complaint in January 2022, but again withdrew it, alleging this was after Edwards contacted her.
A senior manager held a meeting with Edwards in February 2022, advising him “contact…should now cease”.
The pair began emailing each other again afterwards, according to the report.
Edwards resigned from the corporation last week on medical grounds.
Allegations emerged nine months ago he paid a young person £35,000 and received explicit images from them.
When those claims were published last July, the woman spoke to the BBC again, leading to the review into its handling of her allegations.
The BBC would not comment on the woman’s complaint.
Edwards’ lawyers said he was unable to comment on these “unsubstantiated” allegations.