A former BBC chairwoman thanked disgraced newsrader Huw Edwards live on radio for his service last month, despite knowing he had been arrested last November.
Dame Elan Closs Stephens also referred to the broadcaster as “poor Huw” on the Welsh radio programme Beti a’i Phobol last year, before the full details of his crimes emerged.
In a statement to BBC-produced Newyddion S4C she admitted that she knew of Edwards’ arrest in her capacity as interim chair of the BBC but denied being aware of the ‘terrible details’ after the journalist admitted making indecent photographs of children in court earlier this week, with seven of the 41 images being of the most serious type – Category A.
In a gushing tribute on July 2, 2024, Dame Elan said she was “proud to thank” Edwards “personally for all his huge contribution and all the skills he has demonstrated that will help those who will succeed him”.
Last year, she added that the saga involving the former News At Ten presenter was “a sad story” and suggested that the Sun “had wanted to make the most of the occasion” in exposing a scandal involving such a high profile star and public figure.
She said: “It was obvious that the Sun newspaper was going to make the most of the occasion because poor Huw was so well-known.”
However, Dame Elan said revelations from the court had come as a shock to her and that she was “horrified by it all”.
She added her “thoughts are with the children whose images are central to this story”.
However Dame Elan refused to confirm whether she stood by her previous comments in a statement to Newyddion S4C, the BBC reported.