Huw Edwards’ crimes were ‘appalling’, BBC boss says – as corporation still in talks about recovering part of salary
The BBC director-general has condemned Huw Edwards’ crimes as “appalling” – and said the corporation is still having conversations about recovering part of his salary paid following his arrest.
Tim Davie addressed the scandal following Edwards‘ sentencing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Monday.
Speaking at the Royal Television Society (RTS) annual convention, Mr Davie said he could not see the former presenter ever working at the BBC again “for obvious reasons”.
“This man has just been convicted of appalling crimes and it’s pretty straightforward in my mind,” he said.
Huw Edwards was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Pic: PA
Edwards was given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of “making” indecent images of children.
The newsreader paid up to £1,500 to a paedophile who sent him 41 illegal images between December 2020 and August 2021, seven of which were of the most serious type, the court heard.
Asked how badly the scandal has damaged the BBC’s reputation, Mr Davie said there was “no doubt an affair like this impacts our reputation”.
“I don’t know yet in terms of the direct impact on trust,” he added. Trust in the BBC is “essential”, he said, and you can “maintain trust by doing the right things”.
‘We want the money back’
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Huw Edwards leaves court
Presenter Amol Rajan, who hosted the session, asked Mr Davie why Edwards’ pay continued after the BBC was made aware of allegations against him.
Mr Davie said they “wrestled with it” but took the decision “that pay continues until someone is charged”. He added: “I think it was the right decision based on current policy.”
Earlier this year, before the charges against Edwards were announced, it was revealed the former newsreader was among the BBC’s highest-paid stars of the last financial year, despite being off-air since July 2023.
He was first arrested in November 2023, and the BBC has asked for his salary paid after that period – thought to be about £200,000 – to be handed back.
“We want the money back and we’ve asked for it back, and we’re waiting to hear back,” Mr Davie said. Discussions are still ongoing, he added.
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Victims’ families remain the “primary concern”, Mr Davie continued, saying young people who raised concerns over Edwards were “taken seriously” at the time allegations were made.
“We’re just shocked, and there’s a lot of upset because across the BBC,” he said. “We’ve got great teams, good people and they feel deeply, deeply let down.”
Strictly Come Dancing returned at the weekend – with no mention of the controversy surrounding the show. Pic: BBC/Guy Levy
Mr Davie was also asked about the recent controversy surrounding Strictly Come Dancing.
The hit BBC show returned at the weekend as the corporation continues its investigation into allegations of abuse behind the scenes – although the programme did not address this.
Mr David said the broadcaster is now “pretty close to the end” of its investigation into the allegations, but did not give further details.
Rajan asked if it would have been “useful to report it before the new Strictly series started”, to which he replied: “Many things in life would be useful, but we have to do the process.”
Mr Davie said he thought it was “unfair” to say talent in the TV industry might get “indulged and excused”, but that he was “optimistic” that the BBC “is changing”.
He added: “I think the environment’s different, I think this is why it hurts so much when these things happen, but we have to prove we’re only as good as our actions.”
Jamie Oliver has withdrawn a children’s book he wrote from sale after criticism that it stereotyped First Nation Australians.
In his book, Billy And The Epic Escape, the TV chef tells the story of a First Nations girl living in foster care in an Indigenous community who gets abducted by the novel’s villain.
But the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (Natsiec) blasted the book for contributing to the “erasure, trivialisation, and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences”.
The body’s chief executive, Sharon Davis, said the book “ignores the violent oppression of First Nations people” and that its depictions of First Nations people and cultural practices were “irresponsible and damaging, reflecting a profound lack of understanding and respect”, according to The Guardian
In a statement, Oliver, 49, said: “I am devastated to have caused offence and apologise wholeheartedly.
“It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Together with my publishers we have decided to withdraw the book from sale.”
A spokesman for publisher Penguin Random House said: “It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action.”
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The chef published his first children’s book, Billy And The Giant Adventure, last year and said in a social media post that he had “carefully chosen the font to make sure the text is as clear as possible” as people with dyslexia, which Oliver has, can find it hard to read.
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He is also well-known for fronting several TV series including Jamie’s Easy Christmas (2022), Jamie Cooks The Mediterranean (2023) and Jamie: Fast And Simple, which began airing on Channel 4 last month.
At the start of his career, he was known as The Naked Chef, after his 1999 book and TV series of the same name.
Dua Lipa has been forced to cancel a tour date in Indonesia after “unforeseen safety and logistical issues” with the stage were found, organisers said.
The New Rules singer said she was “heartbroken” over not being able to perform at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta on Saturday evening.
“I am here in your amazing country and ready to perform, but I am gutted to share that it has been determined that it is not safe for the performance to carry on due to safety issues with the staging,” she wrote on X.
“I was so looking forward to this night, and it truly pains me that we cannot perform for you all, especially after such a long time since my last performance in Jakarta.
“I love you all and truly can’t wait to be back together in the same room with you singing and dancing our hearts out as soon as possible.”
In a joint statement on Lipa’s website, organisers TEM Presents and PK Entertainment said the cancellation was “due to unforeseen safety and logistical issues”.
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They said the team had made “diligent efforts to resolve critical production issues related to the stage structure provided by Mata Elang Productions” but it was “not safe for the performance to carry on”.
“This very difficult decision to cancel was made with the utmost care and consideration for the safety of both the audiences and artist,” it said, apologising to the fans affected.
Pic: AP
Lipa, 29, won a Brit Award for best pop act earlier this year and has achieved two number one albums with her two latest records Future Nostalgia and Radical Optimism.
There have been two notable incidents recently of artists falling through stages.
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Moment Coldplay’s Chris Martin falls through stage
Last week, Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin fell into a hole in the stage while performing in Sydney, Australia.
Olivia Rodrigo also fell last month during a gig in Melbourne, but told fans at the time: “Oh my God, that was fun. I’m OK.”
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