Huw Edwards has been asked by the BBC to hand back the salary he earned from the corporation after being arrested on child abuse image charges.
In a letter to staff, the BBC Chair Samir Shah said that the disgraced newsreader, 62, had “behaved in bad faith”, adding that the corporation believed he had taken his salary despite knowing he was to plead guilty to the offences.
Following his arrest in November 2023, on three counts of making indecent images of children, Edwards continued to earn his six-figure salary for five months until his official resignation in April 2024. During this period, he was paid more than £200,000.
The BBC has not confirmed whether legal proceedings will be undertaken if Edwards refuses to pay back the public money.
In a statement on Friday, the BBC Board said: “There is nothing more important than the public’s trust in the BBC; the BBC Board is the custodian of that trust.
“The Board has met a number of times over the last week to review information provided by the Executive relating to Huw Edwards.
“The Board’s focus has been principally around two issues. Firstly, what was known in the lead up to Mr Edwards being charged and pleading guilty last Wednesday to making indecent images of children; and, secondly, the specifics of the BBC’s handling of the complaints and the BBC’s own investigations into Mr Edwards, prior to his resignation on 22 April 2024.
“The Board has reviewed the details provided with regard to both series of events. On these, the Board 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.”
Last week, Tim Davie said that the corporation knew Edwards had been arrested in November for “serious” offences, but insisted that it was unaware of all of the “disturbing” details. He said the decision to continue paying Edwards was “considered carefully” and decided on duty-of-care grounds.
Friday’s BBC Board statement continued: “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.
“Today, the Board has authorised the Executive to seek the return of salary paid to Mr Edwards from the time he was arrested in November last year.
“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 statement added that while Edwards’s charges relate to his “personal life”, the Board believes it has “put a spotlight on the question of power imbalances in the workplace”.
The statement went on: “We remain concerned about the potential for inappropriate workplace behaviour, particularly in creative and editorial environments. Whilst challenges related to power imbalances in the workplace are a challenge for multiple employers, the BBC must hold itself to the highest standards.
“The BBC has clearly articulated Values and a strong Code of Conduct and there has been much progress in recent years. That said, the Board will commission an independent review that will make recommendations on practical steps that could strengthen a workplace culture in line with BBC Values.
“The review will include work already being undertaken within the BBC, as well as working with the rest of the industry as appropriate. We will set out terms of reference and leadership of this review in early September.
“The review will report to the Board within months, and will be published.”