BBC boss Tim Davie defended the corporation’s “difficult” decision not to sack Huw Edwards when it knew the police had arrested him over the most serious category of child abuse images.
But how can he possibly defend continuing to pay him?
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Maybe if the BBC had taken The Sun’s story from July last year a little bit more seriously, then things could have been very, very different.
Last summer we told the broadcaster that its highest-paid news- reader had paid a young person for explicit images.
They followed BBC policy and suspended him on full pay.
But many within the corporation turned their noses up at our findings.
The former interim chair of the BBC, Dame Elan Closs Stephens, has publicly sneered: “It was a sad story, and it was obvious The Sun newspaper was going to make the most of the occasion because poor Huw was so well known.”
Going to “make the most of the occasion” and “poor Huw”?
Dear God, who are the people running this corporation?
She later said she was shocked and horrified after he had been at court.
If the BBC had taken our revelations more seriously, they would have realised “poor Huw” was a vile criminal because they would have immediately conducted their own thorough investig- ation and sacked him on NO pay.
But the lack of trans- parency means we don’t even know if they asked “poor Huw” if he was even guilty.
And when police informed the BBC they had arrested Edwards in November, with allegations involving the most serious category of child abuse images, the corporation continued to pay him because it was part of its normal “policy”.
But policies and real life, given the gravity of the situation, are two very different things.
They should have done some decent digging and stopped giving out OUR money.
It is wrong that they gave Edwards the equivalent of 1,194 licence fees.
And it is disgusting that, before the disgraced news reader finally did something decent and quit in April, the BBC gave him a £40,000 pay rise.
They even announced this as part of the BBC’s annual report AFTER he was charged in June — but before it became public knowledge.
It is no surprise that the Beeb handled this appallingly.
It is no surprise that they’ve given out £200,000 as though it was the fake stuff on a Monopoly board, with zero regard for the licence fee payer.
But the buck stops with the director-general Tim Davie.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy, who spoke to him on Thursday, says it is “wrong” Edwards continued to receive the salary between being secretly arrested and his eventual resignation in April, adding: “It’s not a good use of taxpayers’ money.”
Which is stating the bleeding obvious.
She now wants the BBC to recoup the money from him.
I hope they do. But the chances are pretty slim.
The BBC was once the envy of the world. But they have failed us.
Many licence fee payers will now have lost faith in our national broadcaster for good.
Simone is true golden girl of Paris Games
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US gymnast Simone Biles has been a joy to watch and I am so pleased she came back to the Olympics and got her gold.
Just before one utterly breathtaking performance, she muttered to herself: “You got this.”
She most certainly did.
What a role model and an inspiration to us all.
Brave in face of evil
SOUTHPORT should have only been grieving for those little Taylor Swift fans brutally murdered and injured in a knife attack.
Instead, the town had to cope with riots caused by false rumours on social media – senseless grief sparked by misinformation online, including the wrong name for the attacker and incorrect claims that he was a refugee who arrived here last year and was a Muslim.
They went viral and led to violent protests in Hartlepool, Sunderland and Manchester, with more expected across the country.
The judge hearing the case of the suspect revealed the truth about his identity to end further speculation about him.
I commend him for that and hope the authorities now take the strongest action possible against those behind the misinformation.
And I commend the traumatised community of Southport, which has somehow managed to rise above this violence despite immense grief.
Last night locals lit up their buildings in pink and played Taylor Swift songs to show solidarity and pay respect to the three little girls who lost their lives.
Such braveness in the face of such evil.
An own goal by Katie
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KATIE PRICE has missed yet another court case.
Instead of heading to court over her £3.2million debts, she tootled off to Turkey on holiday to work on a documentary instead and had a £10k facelift – purely for research, obviously.
It’s the second hearing she has missed and this week she insisted she is “continuing to co-operate with the relevant people”.
Now there’s a warrant out for her arrest and she’s been ordered to return six vehicles to trustees within ten days.
Her “mucky mansion” is also up for sale.
But don’t panic – Katie now says she is “not running from matters” and was not “ashamed”, before adding, “I own the situation”.
Which is obviously a good thing because soon that may be the only thing she actually does own.
Some people seem to think they’re above the law.
Trip Haz its risks
IF you’re a tourist heading to Colombia there are huge warnings in place about violent crimes, murder, terrorism, kidnapping and armed robbery.
Cocaine is so rife there, they have decriminalised it for personal use.
So you have to wonder why Meghan and Harry – who told in his memoir he has taken cocaine, cannabis and magic mushrooms – are heading to the South American country when they’re too terrified to visit Britain.
Mind-boggling.
Bob’s not the shy type
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STRIPPING down to your trunks in front of thousands would be tricky for most middle-aged men, but the fella dubbed Bob The Cap Catcher took it in his stride at the Olympics.
He saved the day at La Defense Arena by diving into the pool to get a lost swimming cap between races in the women’s 100m breaststroke heats.
As he emerged from the water, he gave a wave to the crowd, showing he most certainly was not the shy and retiring type – which we could probably have worked out from his multicoloured trunks.
Love him!
THERE has been a surge in 999 calls and even cases where some have tragically been ignored.
It is time for people to use 999 where it is appropriate and not misuse it.
I am talking here to the neighbours of Phil Foden.
The Manchester City and England player had another rowdy late-night party that was so noisy, the entire street was up in arms and they rang 999 . . . to complain.
So is that an emergency? Absolutely not.
I wouldn’t want to live in Phil Foden’s posh street.
It sounds like they all need their heads banging together.
PAUL MERSON has signed for Strictly.
But his past misdemeanours are already being discussed because, back in 2003, he accepted a caution for assaulting his second wife.
He also blew his £7million career earnings on alcohol, drugs and gambling.
This is a man who will have had more therapy than most and has been very open about his demons – and probably helped many others by doing so.
Best of luck to him.
He’ll probably need it though, if any of the previous appearances by footballers on the show are anything to go by.
CRAIG REVEL HORWOOD thinks chaperones are a good idea for young dancers because his former ballet teacher used to “whack” him.
I agree. Dance school can be a hideous place for children.
I went to one.
And I will never forget the day when I, as a chubby ten-year-old in a pink catsuit, was eating a Mars bar when my dance teacher shrieked in horror across the room: “Jane! Do you really think that is a good idea?”
I have NEVER eaten one since but HAVE spent my entire adult life on a diet.