BBC Asks Disgraced Former News Anchor Huw Edwards to Return $255K Salary

Disgraced former news anchor Huw Edwards has been asked to pay the BBC back his 200,000 pound ($255,000) salary after pleading guilty to making indecent images of children.

Edwards, who led landmark coverage for the BBC, including its announcement of Queen Elizabeth II’s death and the London 2012 Olympics, was arrested in November — a development only shared with the public late July — and charged last month. On July 31, he made his pleas during a brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court in the U.K. capital.

The offenses are alleged to have taken place between 2020 and 2022. Edwards admitted having 41 indecent images of children, sent to him by another man on WhatsApp. This included seven category A images, the most severe classification, two of which showed a child between 7 and 9, the court heard.

The BBC suspended Edwards in July last year, over allegations, also made by The Sun, that he paid a teenager for sexually explicit photos. Police did not take any action against Edwards relating to those claims, saying there was no evidence that a criminal offense had been committed. After taking a 10-month leave of absence, Edwards resigned from the BBC in April on medical grounds.

Since his guilty plea, questions have emerged over what the BBC knew and when about Edwards’ behavior. In an interview with BBC News last week, the company’s director-general, Tim Davie, said the corporation had “taken difficult decisions in a fair and judicious manner.” Edwards was, at his peak, paid a salary of 475,000 pounds (around $605,000), but in the months after his suspension received an annual salary of 200,000 pounds (around $255,000).

The BBC are now asking Edwards to pay back that money. The network released a statement Friday saying that the BBC Board has met “a number of times” over the last week to review information about Edwards, with its focus on what was known in the lead-up to Edwards being charged and specifically the corp’s handling of complaints against him prior to his resignation.

“The Board supports the decisions taken by [Tim Davie] and his team,” during the period in which Edwards was suspended, the Board said. “These decisions were based on taking into account a range of factors including: the BBC’s legal and contractual obligations; the knowledge the BBC had at the time; duty of care concerns; and, due regard for the accountability that the BBC has for public money.”

Britons pay an annual TV tax to the BBC — around 169.50 pounds ($215), which accounts for 65 percent of the BBC’s total budget.

“Today, the Board has authorised the Executive to seek the return of salary paid to Mr Edwards from the time he was arrested in November last year,” the statement added, saying Edwards had pleaded guilty to “an appalling crime.” Had he been up front and admitted the truth when asked about his arrest, the BBC said it “never” would have continued to play him public money. “He has clearly undermined trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute.”

The BBC said that it remains concerned about the potential for inappropriate workplace behavior, particularly in creative and editorial environments. With that in mind, the Board has commissioned an independent review that will make recommendations on practical steps to strengthen the workplace culture at the BBC. “The review will include work already being undertaken within the BBC, as well as working with the rest of the industry as appropriate.”

U.K. culture secretary Lisa Nandy said of the BBC statement: “Public trust in the BBC is essential, and so I welcome the BBC’s decision to launch an independent review into the culture within the organization following the Huw Edwards case and his abhorrent actions. The BBC is a hugely valued and important player in the public service broadcasting landscape that reaches millions every day and it is vital that the public has complete trust and faith in the organization and in how it is run. BBC staff must be able to feel safe in the workplace and be confident that if non-editorial complaints are raised they will be acted upon and dealt with fairly and decisively.”

Under British law, images can mean photos or videos. “Making” indecent images covers a range of actions per its legal definition. It can, for example, include opening an email attachment with an image, downloading an image from a website to a screen; storing an image on a computer; accessing a pornographic website in which images appear in “pop-up” windows; or receiving an image via social media, even if unsolicited and if part of a group; as well as live-streaming images of children.

Edwards faces jail time.