Huw Edwards has been named as the BBC presenter suspended over allegations that he paid a large sum of money for sexually explicit images, and is currently in hospital with "serious mental health issues", his wife has said.
The BBC News anchorman was first informed of the allegations against him last Thursday, according to his wife Vicky Flind. On Friday, July 7, it was reported in The Sun that an unnamed presenter paid a teenager more than £35,000 for sexually explicit images; however, the young person at the centre of the controversy has insisted that nothing inappropriate or unlawful happened.
Shortly after Edwards was named, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that they have concluded their assessment into the matter and found no criminal offence had been committed by the presenter. The BBC said it will now move forward with its own internal investigations, and it is understood that Edwards has not resigned from his position, according to PA.
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Full statement from Huw Edwards' wife Vicky Flind
Edwards' wife Vicky Flind 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.
"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.
"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."
The Welsh journalist and broadcaster has previously spoken about his mental health, telling BBC Radio Cymru in 2019 that he was "mentally in the wrong place" when he was physically "unhealthy". He also revealed in a documentary in 2021 he had bouts of depression which have left him "bedridden" since 2002.
Full statement from the Metropolitan Police
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."
On The Sun’s front page on Wednesday, the newspaper reported further allegations that a 23-year-old person has claimed 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 saying the presenter "started a chat with a teen follower from his Instagram account — using love hearts and kisses in his messages".
Full statement from the BBC
A BBC spokesperson said: "We have seen the statement from the police confirming they have completed their assessment and are not taking further action. We're grateful to them for completing this work at speed.
"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."
Edwards is the BBC's highest paid newsreader, with a pay bracket of £435,000 – £439,999, up from £410,000 – £414,000 last year, putting him fourth on the top 10 list, the corporation's annual report revealed on Tuesday.
