BBC marked its own homework – whistleblowers disappointed by Huw Edwards review

The veteran broadcaster, 62, admitted accessing indecent images of children earlier this week.

Huw Edwards. (Matt Crossick/PA) (PA Archive)

A current BBC employee and a former member of staff at the broadcaster have been critical of an internal inquiry into Huw Edwards’ behaviour following them speaking to the corporation’s investigation team.

The veteran broadcaster, 62, admitted accessing indecent images of children earlier this week, and the corporation was aware he was arrested on “suspicion of serious offences” in November.

Edwards, who resigned in April, was paid between £475,000 and £479,999 for the year 2023/24, according to the BBC’s latest annual report.

Last year, one current and one former BBC worker told BBC News that they had received “inappropriate messages” from Edwards.

The staff member said they “felt like we had an obligation to report it”, and during the internal investigation they felt the whistleblowing team had “all the questions they hoped they would”.

“Then I was sort of surprised that I haven’t been informed about the findings or how the report was used,” they said.

“I certainly don’t feel like I’ve heard anything of substance about how the investigation went. In a way that’s disappointing because it was quite a stressful thing to go through. It was all a big ordeal.”

The former BBC employee claimed Edwards was “pushy” for them to see each other, and invited him to a hotel room that was paid for by the corporation, during the coverage of the funeral of Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh.

They claim they “gave everything and co-operated”, which included a photograph sent by Edwards of his suite.

They say the BBC not publishing findings, “doesn’t seem transparent, it seems like things have been swept under the carpet, they’ve marked their own homework”.

The BBC did publish another report, which was commissioned in the wake of the Sun alleging that Edwards paid a young person for sexually explicit photos, in February, that looked into the complaints process.

The family of the young person received an apology, and the review highlighted failures in the complaints process, and promised improvements.

Police found no evidence of criminal behaviour in relation to this matter, but the mother of the young person told the Sun that she feels vindicated following Edwards’ guilty plea on Wednesday.

She said: ”It sickens me to my core that he had those videos of that little boy when he was also talking to my child and asking them for sexual pictures.

“I knew he was an abuser but now I know he is truly a monster.”

She added: “It felt like we were just the little men, so could be easily brushed aside. They all said we had destroyed Huw’s life and seemed to think we just wanted money.

“Their comments, and comments like theirs by other presenters, caused a massive backlash which even made me doubt myself. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, I felt so alone.

“Even family members turned against me after reading all of this. I thought ‘is it even worth it?’. But now I can at least say it was. I hope they will apologise.”

The BBC has said that if Edwards had been charged while he was still an employee it would have sacked him, but at the point of charge he no longer worked for the corporation.

Edwards has now admitted three charges of making indecent photographs – after he was sent 41 illegal images by convicted paedophile Alex Williams.

The BBC and the legal team for Edwards have been contacted for comment.