The BBC has formally requested that former news anchor Huw Edwards return his salary after he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children.
BBC is seeking the repayment of Edwards’ earnings since November, when he was arrested, citing that his criminal actions have brought the organization into “disrepute.”
Despite knowing about Edwards‘ arrest on suspicion of serious offenses, the BBC continued to employ him until his resignation in April, which came following medical advice. Edwards, who was the BBC’s highest-paid presenter, earned between £475,000 and £479,999 from 2023 to 2024, with around £200,000 of that sum earned since November.
A BBC spokesperson stated, “Had he been upfront when asked by the BBC about his arrest, we would never have continued to pay him public money. He has clearly undermined trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute.”
In response to the situation, the BBC’s Board has commissioned an independent review aimed at strengthening workplace culture in accordance with BBC Values. The broadcaster has also begun editing and removing Edwards’ voice and appearances from various programs, including a 2006 episode of Doctor Who.
Calls for Edwards to repay his salary have come from multiple sources, including Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who criticized the continued payment of his salary following his arrest.
Nandy expressed that the use of taxpayers’ money to pay Edwards after such serious charges were brought against him was “wrong,” and she urged the BBC to explore options for recouping the funds.
Edwards, who admitted in court to possessing 41 child sex abuse images on WhatsApp, pleaded guilty to three offenses of making indecent images of children between December 2020 and April 2021.
The material, sent to Edwards by 25-year-old convicted paedophile Alex Williams, included seven category A images, the most severe, as well as 12 category B and 22 category C images. Some of the children in the images were as young as seven.
Edwards has been released on bail following his guilty plea and is scheduled to appear for sentencing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 16. The BBC continues to review how to handle Edwards’ past appearances in their archives, as the organization grapples with the fallout from his conviction.
