The BBC Board has asked Huw Edwards to repay the salary he earned from when he was arrested last November, amounting to around £200,000 ($254,000), while saying he has “brought us into disrepute.”
Issuing a statement in the past few minutes, the board, which is chaired by Samir Shah, said: “Mr Edwards pleaded guilty to an appalling crime. Had he been up front when asked by the BBC about his arrest, we would never have continued to pay him public money. He has clearly undermined trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute.”
The BBC was forced to reveal recently that a small number of senior leaders including Director General Tim Davie were aware Edwards was arrested last November over three counts of making indecent images of children. He was charged several months later and pled guilty last week. Davie subsequently said the BBC was not hiding evidence about him but that it had chosen not to fire the former newsreader when it was told about his arrest in November. “We knew it was serious, we knew no specifics, apart from the category of the potential offenses,” said Davie.
Today, the board said it has reviewed information provided by Davie’s team over the last week and “supports the decisions taken by the Director General and his team during this period.”
“These decisions were based on taking into account a range of factors including: the BBC’s legal and contractual obligations; the knowledge the BBC had at the time; duty of care concerns; and, due regard for the accountability that the BBC has for public money,” it added.
The board noted that “the Executive has agreed to look at lessons from this period, including the BBC’s approach to the rules surrounding payments when employees are suspended.”
Just after Edwards pled guilty, the BBC was accused by insiders of double standards over Edwards’ salary after it emerged that the British broadcaster’s freelance presenters are not paid if suspended and under police investigation. Edwards earned his biggest pay packet in five years in 2024, the vast majority of which he was not working following allegations published in The Sun.
Spotlighting power imbalances
The Board went on to say that the events surrounding Edwards have “also put a spotlight on the question of power imbalances in the workplace.” “We remain concerned about the potential for inappropriate workplace behaviour, particularly in creative and editorial environments,” it added. “Whilst challenges related to power imbalances in the workplace are a challenge for multiple employers, the BBC must hold itself to the highest standards.”
Since the Edwards plea, BBC News has reported that Edwards sent suggestive messages to an employee, including a picture of his hotel suite in Windsor at the time of Prince Philip’s funeral. A “whistleblower” told BBC News that they gave evidence to an internal inquiry but the findings had been “swept under the carpet.”
Review launched
With this all in mind, the Board has commissioned an independent review that will “make recommendations on practical steps that could strengthen a workplace culture in line with BBC Values.”
It said terms of reference will be unveiled in September. The BBC has already reviewed the specific circumstances around the Edwards’ allegations published in The Sun, which were distinct from his arrest, and is in the midst of another fact-finding investigation, which the BBC has said it will not publish.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed the new review. “The BBC is a hugely valued and important player in the public service broadcasting landscape that reaches millions every day and it is vital that the public has complete trust and faith in the organisation and in how it is run,” she said. “BBC staff must be able to feel safe in the workplace and be confident that if non-editorial complaints are raised they will be acted upon and dealt with fairly and decisively.”
Edwards pled guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, for making category A, category B and category C images. Of the severn category A, which are the most serious, two were “moving images” of a young child, possibly aged between seven and nine.