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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Rachael Burford

Director General to be grilled over BBC leadership in Parliament after Huw Edwards scandal

The BBC Director General is set to be grilled in Parliament over the broadcaster’s leadership “in light of current events”.

Tim Davie is to be hauled before the Lords Communications and Digital Committee on Tuesday following the Huw Edwards scandal.

BBC acting chairwoman Dame Elan Closs Stephens and policy director Clare Sumner have also been called to appear.

The peers will raise a range of issues, including "in light of recent events, what concerns have been raised about the adequacy of the BBC’s governance arrangements and how it is addressing these".

The meeting was originally initiated by the Committee at the end of March in order to discuss the future funding of the BBC and how the corporation ensures its independence from Government.

It comes after veteran broadcaster Edwards was named by his wife, Vicky Flind, as the BBC presenter facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images.

The 61-year-old is receiving in-patient hospital care and “suffering from serious mental health issues”, Flind said in a statement issued on Wednesday evening.

Former colleague Jon Sopel said Edwards "felt very let down" by the coverage of the story.

Sopel, who worked with Edwards at the broadcaster for decades, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain he had been in touch with news anchor before he went to hospital.

He said: “We’ve had contact, obviously not since he’s been hospitalised.

“He was very angry, I think felt very let down by what happened in the Sun, furious with their coverage, not overly impressed with the BBC’s coverage either.

“I’m sure anyone who knows him is just wishing him well. Huw I have known for over three decades, when we were young political correspondents competing against each other to get up the ladder at the BBC.

“He is incredibly funny, has got an acid wit. He can be a complicated person to deal with.

“If you’re entering Huw’s orbit, he’s very defensive of his own territory, so I wouldn’t say we’re close friends, but I thought that some of the coverage about what has happened about someone’s private life, which is complicated, and possibly a bit messy, and that some might find distasteful, I don’t see what it’s got to do with anyone else.

“If there’s no question of illegality, there’s no question of sexual assault and things might change, but, as things stand now, there’s been no illegality, there’s been no abuse of power, as far as I can see. Therefore, what is it to do with anybody?”

The Metropolitan Police has said there is no evidence an offence has been committed by Edwards and no further police action will be taken "at this time", allowing an internal BBC investigation to resume.

The Sun, which first reported allegations against the then unnamed presenter last week, claiming they had paid a young person tens of thousands of pounds for explicit images, said it has no plans to publish further allegations.

The newspaper said it will co-operate with the BBC's internal investigation process.

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