The BBC has removed a “Doctor Who” episode featuring former newsreader Huw Edwards from its iPlayer service, while a mural of him has been painted over in his home village, BBC News reports.
Upon accessing iPlayer, Variety discovered that the 2022 and 2023 dessert finals of “The Great British Menu,” where Edwards appeared as a judge, have also been removed.
These actions come in the wake of Edwards admitting to possessing indecent images of children.
The “Doctor Who” episode, “Fear Her,” was part of David Tennant’s debut season as the Doctor in 2006. Edwards’ voice, playing himself, can be heard during a news program that’s part of the episode.
In a statement to Variety, the BBC said: “An episode of ‘Doctor Who’ has been temporarily removed from BBC iPlayer to be re-dubbed.”
“As you would expect we are actively considering the availability of our archive. While we don’t routinely delete content from the BBC archive as it is a matter of historical record, we do consider the continued use and re-use of material on a case-by-case basis,” the statement added.
All the other episodes of “Doctor Who” and “The Great British Menu” continue to be available on iPlayer.
Meanwhile, in Llangennech, Carmarthenshire — the Welsh town where Edwards grew up — artist Steve Jenkins painted over a portrait of Edwards that was part of a larger mural in an underpass. The removal occurred on Tuesday after Edwards was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children.
Jenkins, who had previously been proud of the mural, expressed his dismay at having to remove it. “The whole village loved it when it was first done,” he told BBC News.
Cardiff council has also taken action, removing a plaque honoring Edwards at Cardiff Castle and discontinuing an audio guide narrated by the former presenter. Llanelli councillor Gary Jones reported that a photograph of Edwards has been removed from the community center.
Edwards admitted to possessing 41 indecent images of children, which were sent to him by a convicted pedophile via WhatsApp. He pled guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
The BBC continues to face scrutiny over its handling of the Edwards case. On Thursday, BBC director general Tim Davie maintained that the BBC acted appropriately when it chose not to terminate Edwards’ employment after learning of his arrest in November 2023.
Davie revealed that the BBC was informed of the arrest’s connection to indecent images of children but lacked specific details beyond the category of potential offenses. The executive stated that BBC leadership was unaware of the ages of the children involved in the images.
The director general underlined that the BBC’s decision to withhold information about the potential charges was at the request of law enforcement. He cited the need to balance police cooperation with the organization’s duty of care.
Davie also confirmed that, to his knowledge, the BBC does not possess any additional evidence related to the case that has not been shared with authorities.
Edwards remained in the corporation’s employment for five months after he was arrested, during which time he earned £200,000 ($256,420). On Friday, U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called on Huw Edwards to return the salary he earned from the BBC.
“I think he ought to return his salary,” Nandy told Sky News. “I think having been arrested on such serious charges all the way back in November, to continue to receive that salary all the way through until he resigned is wrong and it’s not a good use of taxpayers’ money.”
When questioned about Edwards’ pension, Davie had noted the challenges in reclaiming such benefits, describing it as “very difficult to claw back, nigh on impossible.” He added that the BBC would “look at all options” regarding pay, despite potential legal hurdles.
Nandy has also had a “very robust and frank discussion about the circumstances around the case” with Davie, per BBC News.