Huw Edwards: Guilty plea marks fall from grace for veteran ex-BBC broadcaster

One of the most recognisable faces on British television, Huw Edwards anchored coverage of major national events before his public downfall as he admitted making indecent images of children.

He was the BBC’s highest-paid newsreader and presented the News At Ten for decades but his guilty plea marks the apparent end of a glittering career.

Edwards was regarded as the best-known face of BBC News and was seen as a safe pair of hands to guide the country through major events.

However he is now making headlines himself after admitting having 41 images on WhatsApp, including seven of the most serious type.

On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to making indecent images of children between December 2020 and August 2021.

Born in Bridgend and brought up in Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, Edwards joined the BBC as a trainee in 1984.

During his four decades at the corporation, he was chosen over and over again to front the coverage of the major news of the day, leading coverage of historic events including the late Queen’s funeral in 2022 and most recently the coronation of the King in May 2023.

He was front and centre in live broadcasts of election coverage, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the wedding of the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018, and the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh in 2021.

Edwards was also the BBC’s voice at Trooping the Colour and the Festival of Remembrance.

When the BBC was looking for someone to take over election coverage from the long-serving David Dimbleby in 2019, it was Edwards who was chosen.

Edwards was also the corporation’s highest-paid newsreader, with a pay bracket of £475,000 to £479,999 for the year 2023/24, before he resigned, according to the BBC’s latest annual report.

This last salary marked an increase from 2022/23, when he was paid between £435,000 and £439,999 for 180 days presenting on BBC One, as well as news specials.

Edwards said in 2021 that he was considering his future presenting News At Ten as he approached his 60th birthday.

The broadcaster, who attended Llanelli Grammar School and graduated in French from Cardiff University, is an honorary professor in the School of Journalism, Media and Culture at his old university.

In June 2023, Edwards picked up the best live event honour at the Tric Awards for being among those to cover the state funeral of the late Queen, and in February he received the Broadcast Awards’ special recognition award.

Edwards was previously a vice president of the National Churches Trust and has appeared on Songs Of Praise.

After news of the charges emerged, the Trust said in a statement: “In light of the news on 29 July, the National Churches Trust has confirmed that Huw Edwards is no longer a vice president for the charity. We are shocked and saddened by the recent developments.”

Edwards also made documentaries for the BBC including Wales: Who Do We Think We Are? and talked about his depression on S4C’s Huw Edwards Is 60.

“Like everyone that suffers with depression, you don’t get one bout of it. It comes and goes,” he said.

“For me, it started around 2002 I think. I went down fairly quickly and I couldn’t understand it.”

Speaking on a podcast hosted by Jane Garvey and Fi Glover, Fortunately… With Fi And Jane, Edwards said he decided to share publicly that he has depression as he felt it was “complete hypocrisy” to support organisations such as the Shawmind Foundation or Mind without explaining why.

“I also felt that it might be someway helpful to people if I opened up about it and say ‘You can do a job and you can be successful’, whether it’s just reading a bit of autocue or doing whatever it is… while also dealing with issues like that,” he told the podcast.