Huw Edwards has been named as the BBC presenter facing allegations over payments to a teenager for sexually explicit images.
His wife, Vicky Flind, said the newsreader is “suffering from serious mental health issues” and is now “receiving inpatient hospital care where he will stay for the foreseeable future”.
The statement, which ended days of intense speculation over his identity, came as the Metropolitan Police announced that no criminal offence had been committed.
The BBC said it would now resume its own “fact-finding” investigation into claims made in The Sun last week that Mr Edwards, 61, had paid a young person around £35,000 over three years, from the age of 17, for photos.
Ms Flind said her husband would address the claims when he was “well enough to do so” as she asked for her family’s privacy to be respected.
He has been treated for severe depression in recent years, she said, adding: “The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving inpatient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.”
The statement continued: “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.”
Ms Flind 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.”
Huw Edwards will address claims when he is ‘well enough’, says his wife— (PA)
The BBC’s director general Tim Davie said this will “no doubt be a difficult time for many after a challenging few days” and added: “I want to reassure you that our immediate concern is our duty of care to all involved.”
In a note sent to staff, Mr Davie said: “I wanted to write following this evening’s statements from the family of Huw Edwards and the police.
“Many of you will have read the words of Vicky Flind, Huw’s wife. It is a reminder that the last few days have seen personal lives played out in public. At the heart of this are people and their families.
“This will no doubt be a difficult time for many after a challenging few days. I want to reassure you that our immediate concern is our duty of care to all involved.”
Mr Edwards is one of the most recognisable faces on British television, anchoring coverage of major national events – including the late Queen’s funeral in 2022 – and presenting the BBC’s News at Ten.
The married father of five has fronted the flagship nightly news programme for the last 20 years, earning a reputation as a respected veteran broadcaster.
The heartfelt statement came after Jeremy Vine had earlier called on the presenter “to come forward”, adding that “the longer he leaves it the worse it will be for him”.
Mr Vine said on his Channel 5 show: “I haven’t spoken to him, but I gather from somebody who has that he is described as angry and keen to play it long ... the longer he leaves it the worse it will be for him.”
A screen in BBC Broadcasting House as Huw Edwards is revealed as the presenter at the centre of the storm— (PA)
Police said there was no evidence that a criminal offence had been committed, having spoken to “the alleged complainant and the alleged complainant’s family” from The Sun’s initial story.
The Metropolitan Police said they were aware of further allegations but said “no specific details” had been given to them, adding: “Should evidence of criminality or safeguarding issues be identified at any point we would expect matters to be referred to the relevant police force.”
The Sun reported on Wednesday that a 23-year-old person had claimed that the BBC presenter broke lockdown rules to meet them during the pandemic in February 2021.
The paper also reported an additional claim, from another person, that the presenter had “started a chat with a teen follower from his Instagram account – using love hearts and kisses in his messages”. According to The Sun, the individual was 17 when the presenter contacted them “out of the blue”.
Separately, BBC News reported on Tuesday that a person in their early twenties had alleged that they had been sent threatening messages.
Jeremy Vine speaks to the media as he calls on the presenter to ‘come forward’— (PA)
A spokesperson said the BBC was grateful to Scotland Yard for completing its scoping work “at speed”, adding that its own inquiry, paused since Monday, would now restart.
“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,” they said.
The BBC suspended Mr Edwards following the first allegation printed in The Sun. Later, the young person at the centre of the controversy said via lawyers that nothing inappropriate or unlawful had happened – describing the claims as “rubbish”.
But in an apparent family rift, their mother told The Sun that she stood by the claims, while a spokesperson for the newspaper said it was “now for the BBC to properly investigate”.
BBC presenter Richard Bacon criticised Mr Vine for demanding that the presenter come forward. He tweeted that Mr Vine should “stop it” and added: “We don’t know the complexities of what his family are going through.”
Jon Sopel, a former BBC journalist, tweeted: “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 Huw Edwards well.”
A spokesperson for The Sun said the paper had no plans to publish further allegations, adding: “It is now for the BBC to properly investigate.”
