Dan Walker is among those sharing 'shock' at Huw Ewards being named as the BBC star facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images after his wife issued a statement.
Last week, The Sun newspaper first reported allegations against an unnamed presenter, saying the presenter had paid a young person tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images. On July 9, the BBC issued an update to staff and the media and confirmed it had suspended the unnamed presenter.
Before Edwards' wife Vicky Flind issued her statement on behalf of her husband, the Metropolitan Police said no criminal offence had been committed by the presenter.
Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.
The force said: “Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command have now concluded their assessment and have determined there is no information to indicate that a criminal offence has been committed.
"In reaching this decision, they have spoken to a number of parties including the BBC and the alleged complainant and the alleged complainant’s family, both via another police force. There is no further police action. As such, the Met has advised the BBC it can continue with its internal investigation."
The statement added: “We are aware of media reporting of further allegations against the same individual. No specific details or information about these allegations have been passed to us and therefore there is no police action at this time." The BBC said in a statement the corporation was "grateful" to the Met Police for "completing this work at speed".
Following days of intense speculation as to the identity of the BBC presenter at the centre of the allegations, Vicky Flind said in a statement released to the PA news agency on Wednesday (July 11) that she was speaking out on her husband’s behalf as he is "suffering from serious mental health issues” and receiving "in-patient hospital care".
She 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.”
She said once the presenter, who has worked for the BBC for four decades, was well enough he "intends to respond to the stories that have been published” and added that her husband was first told there were allegations “being made against him last Thursday".
She added: "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."
Former BBC Breakfast host Dan said on Twitter: "This is an awful situation & will come as a big shock to many. Huw Edwards is clearly not in a good place at the moment and this must be terrible for his family. I just hope that whoever needs help - on all sides of this - gets the time, space & support they need to heal."
Alastair Campbell has also issued a lengthy message to social media, writing: "Like virtually everyone else, I know absolutely nothing about the events that have led to the statement by Huw Edwards’ wife. But I do know that he is a superb broadcaster. I know too that he has a long history of depression. He and I have spoken about it often, including in an interview for @MensHealthUK shortly before the Queen’s death which he covered so brilliantly.
"Precisely because he is both well known and well liked he is the perfect target for those who would undermine and indeed would like to destroy the BBC. Nobody should help them. The police having said no action to be taken, whatever he did or did not do is a matter for him and his family, and for the BBC.
"The obsession with this story has been a further sign of a media that has frankly become weird. But I hope - almost certainly in vain - that Huw and his family are given the privacy they need and to which they are entitled. And the same goes for all others involved in this story. I hope he is getting good care and wish it was available to all who struggle with their mental health."
Jon Sopel, a former BBC journalist who has been North America editor, a political correspondent and presenter, tweets:"This is an awful and shocking episode, where there was no criminality, but perhaps a complicated private life. That doesn’t feel very private now. I hope that will give some cause to reflect. They really need to. I wish @thehuwedwards well."
