Huw Edwards has been named as the BBC host who was banned after accusations that got a lot of attention.
His wife, Vicky Flind, made a statement on his behalf, saying that he has been “suffering from serious mental health problems” and is now “getting in-patient hospital care.”
The news was also shared live on BBC News at Six, where Sophie Raworth, who works with Edwards, told viewers what was going on.
‘At Six, Huw Edwards is the presenter accused of paying a teenager for explicit photos,’ she said as the news programme began.
Raworth stated that Edwards had announced his resignation, but a few minutes later clarified that this wasn’t the case.
She said that questions were raised ‘about The Sun’s original story, which claimed the presenter had paid the young person more than £35,000 for photos’.
‘Tonight there are more allegations though of inappropriate behaviour by the presenter, this time towards BBC colleagues,’ she stated.
‘The corporation says it’s resuming its own investigation.’
Later on, Raworth clarified to her viewers: ‘I must just correct something as well, because this is all breaking in the last few minutes – he has not resigned, he has been named by his wife, he has not resigned.’
In her statement, Edwards’s wife Flind said: ‘‘In light of the recent reporting regarding the “BBC Presenter” I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family.
‘I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.
‘Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.
‘The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.
‘Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published. To be clear Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday.
‘In the circumstances and given Huw’s condition I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected.
‘I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation. We hope this statement will bring that to an end.’
Four different people have brought claims against Edwards.
The first came from parents who said their child, who is now 20, was sent more than £35,000 for sexually explicit pictures when the person was 17.
A second young person said Edwards sent them “dangerous” texts, and a third said he broke lockdown rules to meet them.
A fourth young person, who is now 22 years old, says that the host sent them texts with love heart emojis and kisses.
In a statement released this evening, the Metropolitan Police said that Edwards has not done anything wrong.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We have seen the statement from the police confirming they have completed their assessment and are not taking further action. We’re grateful to them for completing this work at speed.
‘The police had previously asked us to pause our fact finding investigations and we will now move forward with that work, ensuring due process and a thorough assessment of the facts, whilst continuing to be mindful of our duty of care to all involved.’
Need support?
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
If you’re a young person, or concerned about a young person, you can also contact PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide UK. Their HOPELINK digital support platform is open 24/7, or you can call 0800 068 4141, text 07860039967 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org between the hours of 9am and midnight.
