Jon Sopel: Huw Edwards felt angry and let down by coverage of allegations

Huw Edwards was “very angry” and “felt very let down” by the coverage of the allegations made about him, his former colleague Jon Sopel has said.

Veteran broadcaster Edwards was named by his wife, Vicky Flind, as the BBC presenter facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images.

The 61-year-old is now receiving in-patient hospital care and “suffering from serious mental health issues”, Flind said in a statement issued on Wednesday evening.

The Metropolitan Police have said no criminal offence has been committed by Edwards and no further police action will be taken “at this time”, allowing an internal BBC investigation to resume.

The Sun, which first reported allegations against the then unnamed presenter last week, claiming they had paid a young person tens of thousands of pounds for explicit images, said it has no plans to publish further allegations and will co-operate with the BBC’s internal investigation process.

Sopel, who worked with Edwards for decades before leaving the corporation last year, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain he had been in touch with Edwards before he went to hospital.

He said: “We’ve had contact, obviously not since he’s been hospitalised.

“He was very angry, I think felt very let down by what happened in the Sun, furious with their coverage, not overly impressed with the BBC’s coverage either.

“I’m sure anyone who knows him is just wishing him well.

“Huw I have known for over three decades, when we were young political correspondents competing against each other to get up the ladder at the BBC.

“He is incredibly funny, has got an acid wit.

“He can be a complicated person to deal with.

“If you’re entering Huw’s orbit, he’s very defensive of his own territory, so I wouldn’t say we’re close friends, but I thought that some of the coverage about what has happened about someone’s private life, which is complicated, and possibly a bit messy, and that some might find distasteful, I don’t see what it’s got to do with anyone else.

“If there’s no question of illegality, there’s no question of sexual assault and things might change, but, as things stand now, there’s been no illegality, there’s been no abuse of power, as far as I can see. Therefore, what is it to do with anybody?”

Asked what he thinks the situation means for Edwards professionally, Sopel said: “I think if, at the end of this, what you are left with is someone who had some personal struggles about who he was, what he was, how he lived his life. and he made some ill-considered judgments along the way, I think it would be such a shame, if such a talented and gifted broadcaster – and the way he navigates state occasions and the big events and reads the news with such authority – if that is lost.

“I think that will be a great loss.

“So I hope he gets better. And I hope that some way, somehow, he’s back – providing nothing else comes out that we don’t know about – but if things are as they are, I hope he makes a return.”

The BBC is continuing its “fact-finding investigations” into the allegations printed in the Sun which said the presenter had paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images.

The BBC has reported a second person claiming they felt threatened by messages they received from Edwards.

BBC Newsnight has also reported new claims from one current and one former BBC worker, who said they had received “inappropriate messages” from the veteran broadcaster, “some late at night and signed off with kisses”.