BBC director general Tim Davie will be questioned in parliament about the corporation’s leadership, after mental-health charities called for Huw Edwards to be given support and treatment.
The corporation is facing questions over why it did not take allegations against its most highly paid news presenter more seriously sooner.
Some BBC News journalists had reportedly started work on a potential exposé about the newsreader before The Sun reported claims about him allegedly paying a teenager for explicit images.
Sources said Newsnight host Victoria Derbyshire had been examining accusations about Mr Edwards’s conduct, the website Deadline claimed.
Ms Derbyshire’s enquiries surprised some BBC staff, it was said, and it is not clear whether senior editors were aware of them.
Mr Davie, acting chairperson Dame Elan Closs Stephens and policy director Clare Sumner will appear before the Lords communications committee on Tuesday.
Despite the appearance being booked before the Edwards story broke, the committee said on Thursday that it would raise issues including “in [the] light of recent events, what concerns have been raised about the adequacy of the BBC’s governance arrangements and how it is addressing these”.
Mr Davie has already ordered an internal review to “assess how some complaints are red-flagged up the organisation”.
The BBC is conducting “fact-finding investigations” into allegations against the veteran broadcaster, after his wife identified him on Wednesday night as the star at the centre of the scandal. Vicky Flind said her husband was in hospital suffering from serious mental-health issues.
Father of five Mr Edwards, 61, who was suspended five days ago, is facing a string of claims, including contacting a 17-year-old and sending “inappropriate messages” to two BBC colleagues and a former member of staff.
The former employee said they had never met the presenter but received messages from him on social media, “some late at night and signed off with kisses”, which they said they believed was an “abuse of power”.
A current staffer said Mr Edwards sent them a private message on social media, commenting on their physical appearance, which gave them a “cold shudder”.
The other BBC employee said: “There is a power dynamic that made them inappropriate.”
Two of the three said there was “a reluctance among junior staff to complain to managers about the conduct of high-profile colleagues in case it adversely affected their careers”, Newsnight reported.
Mr Edwards’s long-time colleague Jon Sopel said the star newsreader was “very angry” about the coverage the story has been given. Nor was he “overly impressed” with the broadcaster’s own coverage, he said.
Mr Sopel, who worked with Mr Edwards for decades before leaving the corporation last year, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that he was in touch with his ex-colleague before he went to hospital and that he was very angry.
“I think [he] felt very let down by what happened in The Sun, furious with their coverage, [and] not overly impressed with the BBC’s coverage, either.”
Mr Sopel said coverage of the allegations “got ugly”, adding: “I think it became a feeding frenzy. I think it was a competition to see who could go further the fastest.”
The Metropolitan Police has said no criminal offence has been committed by Mr Edwards and no further police action will be taken “at this time”, allowing the internal BBC investigation to resume.
Other BBC colleagues have also expressed sympathy for the newsreader, who has been open about his history of depression.
World affairs editor John Simpson tweeted: “I feel so sorry for everyone involved in this: for the Edwards family, for the complainants, and for Huw himself.
“No criminal offences were committed, so it’s a purely personal tragedy for everyone involved. Let’s hope the press leave them all alone now.”
Nicky Campbell of 5 Live said: “What a saga this all is. It’s been very tough to cover here, obviously. Our thoughts have to be with all those who have suffered, the family who have suffered and Huw Edwards of course.”
The news presenter was last seen on BBC One’s News At Ten on 5 July when he co-presented a special edition live from Edinburgh as the King was honoured in the Scottish capital.
The director of Mind Cymru, Susan O’Leary, said Mr Edwards, who is patron of a branch of Mind in Llanelli, said: “We would like to stress that it is important that anybody experiencing serious mental health problems is given the appropriate space to receive the treatment they need.
“We acknowledge that the ongoing news coverage could impact people in many different ways. Mind is here to support anyone who needs help with their mental health.”
Rethink Mental Illness tweeted that “everyone connected” to the story should be supported and have their mental health “prioritised”.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
For services local to you in the UK, the national mental health database - Hub of Hope - allows you to enter your postcode to search for organisations and charities who offer mental health advice and support in your area.
