After a week of reporting the allegations against Huw Edwards, which have seriously affected the BBC presenter’s mental health, the Sun is facing intense criticism.
And there are still questions for the BBC – regarding its handling of the episode and its prior knowledge about it – and Edwards himself.
Even though police found no evidence of criminal behaviour, is there any future for Edwards’ career?
The Sun initially suggested Edwards could have engaged in illegal activity involving a 17-year-old, prompting the BBC to suspend the presenter and ask the police to examine the claims. The newspaper has now abandoned that allegation – blaming other news outlets for misinterpreting its reporting – and the police have said there is no case to answer.
But the parents’ original claims about Edwards paying a potentially vulnerable young adult for explicit photos were still considered serious enough to prompt inquiries by the BBC’s internal investigations unit in May. The parents told the Sun that their child, now 20, had wanted to be a solicitor but instead developed a drug addiction and began living out of a hotel funded by “mystery money”. They accused Edwards of abusing his power as a prominent man.
Since then there have been other claims about Edwards’ messaging habits crossing boundaries, including in conversations with BBC colleagues. The Sun has claimed it has a dossier of other unpublished allegations.
Even if no criminal offence occurred, it may be that Edwards is found to be in breach of his BBC contract. In any case, he may find it hard to return to the BBC newsroom given his alleged anger at his colleagues’ coverage of his suspension.
Did the Sun talk to the 20-year-old at the centre of its allegations before publishing the initial story?
This is one of the biggest questions about the newspaper’s reporting. The tabloid said the mother and stepfather involved in the story were “avid Sun readers” who contacted the newspaper out of despair for their child, who they allege was spending money from Edwards on crack cocaine.
The Sun reporter Scarlet Howes, who broke the story, said she first met the couple two weeks ago. Sources elsewhere at the Sun suggest preparation of the story ramped up last Wednesday, with the story put to the BBC and Edwards last Thursday, before being published on Friday night.
Despite all this time working on the story, it is unclear whether the Sun spoke to the individual at the heart of the story.
After the story was published, the 20-year-old later issued a statement to the BBC through their solicitors insisting the Sun’s story was “rubbish”, and saying they had told the newspaper this before publication. The legal firm in question – the upmarket Mayfair solicitors Child & Child – has since declined to elaborate further.
Which, if any, of the original allegations against Edwards are backed up by evidence?
The details in the Sun’s original story rely largely on the testimony of the parents in the case. It is not clear if they have original copies of any bank statements or messages from Edwards.
Proving some of the claims will depend on whether the BBC, which does not have the same powers as the police, can access material held by Edwards and the 20-year-old. The BBC is not believed to have asked the presenter to hand over any electronic equipment.
In relation to other stories about Edwards’ messaging habits, reporters have seen screengrabs of conversations involving Edwards.
Why was Victoria Derbyshire investigating Edwards prior to the Sun’s story?
The BBC Newsnight presenter was making inquiries into Edwards before the Sun’s allegations were published, although there is some dispute as to whether this counted as a formal journalistic investigation.
There was some disquiet among BBC staff over Newsnight’s reporting methods, which involved looking for current and former BBC employees among the thousands of individuals followed by Edwards on Twitter. BBC journalists then set about contacting other BBC staff and asking if they had received any uncomfortable messages from the News at Ten anchor.
Emily Maitlis, a former Newsnight presenter, implicitly criticised Derbyshire on the News Agents podcast: “There is something a bit distasteful I think, about, if you know this stuff about a colleague, why isn’t your first duty to then go to HR? Or to go to a senior manager or to say: ‘I think this is going on’, rather than to turn it into a news story.”
Discussion about Edwards’ habit of messaging younger members of staff had circulated in the BBC newsroom for years, although there are no known formal complaints about this aspect of his behaviour.
Is the BBC assisting Edwards while he is under investigation?
Standard BBC policy is that staff suspended due to internal investigations continue to receive full pay, so Edwards is believed to still be receiving his £435,000 annual salary.
Exactly what conversations and further assistance is being provided is unclear. Earlier this week the BBC director general, Tim Davie, suggested support was in place: “Duty of care in these type of affairs is critical. That goes beyond the people at the centre of the drama.”
Have the parents of the young person talked to anyone other than the Sun yet?
It is not known if they have been approached by other journalists, although many outlets have tried. The Sun has kept close control of the mother and stepfather, although individuals with knowledge of how the story has been handled suggested the couple had pushed back over the way some of their quotes had been edited.
The tabloid has insisted they have not paid them for their story. However, the Guardian understands the couple were offered tens of thousands of pounds by TalkTV, the Sun’s sister television station, for an interview which has not yet been broadcast. Sources at the station suggest there may be unresolved legal issues with the interview.
Are there any further allegations to come?
This is what could decide Edwards’ future. The Sun has said it will step aside from reporting on the issue. Edwards’ family – advised by Andy Coulson – will be keeping a close eye on this Sunday’s newspapers for investigations. Ironically, it is now journalists at BBC News who are most likely to break new stories about the corporation’s most well-known news presenter.
