BBC ‘warned about disgraced presenter Huw Edwards as far back as 2012’

A complaint about Huw Edwards was reportedly lodged at the BBC in 2012 (Picture: BBC News)

The BBC received a complaint about disgraced presenter Huw Edwards more than a decade ago in 2012, it has been reported.

News anchor Edwards, 63, had been one of the corporation’s biggest names and highest-paid presenters before his fall from grace last year.

In September, he was spared prison and handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children.

An hour before Edwards appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court, a former BBC employee reportedly warned director-general Tim Davie that a complaint about the Welsh newsreader had been lodged in 2012.

An email is said to have informed the BBC boss, 58, that ‘it was not necessarily a criminal allegation’ and was unable to provide ‘real specifics’ but wanted him to be aware the complaint ‘existed.’

According to emails obtained by a Freedom of Information request by The Sunday Times, David responded minutes later and said he would share the information ‘in confidence’ with the team.

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Previous Page Next Page The alleged complaint about Edwards likely fell under the BBC’s C-list category (Picture: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

The former employee indicated that the complaint most likely fell under BBC’s ‘C-list’ category. These are complaints that are ‘no-high-risk-action’, meaning they are not criminal, but could include bullying and harassment.

A former BBC employee told The Sunday Times: ‘The BBC was completely overwhelmed with complaints at the time — we were ill-prepared for the deluge and some of it was people with grudges, settling grievances.

‘But this raises the question of whether this complaint about Huw was adequately scrutinised, given that his career continued to soar as he took over more election coverage and had such a prominent role in all the state occasions.’

In response, the BBC told Metro it had ‘a longstanding position not to comment on any internal HR matter.’

Edwards was sentenced last year after pleading guilty to making indecent images of children (Picture: Jeff Overs/BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images) He has not paid back the £200,000 salary he received from the BBC after his arrest (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

It was also claimed that the BBC was still ‘chasing’ the £200,000 salary Edwards received after he was arrested. Emails obtained claim Edwards said he would return part of the money in November, but has not yet done so.

A BBC spokesperson told Metro: ‘The BBC believes that Huw Edwards should return the money paid to him by the BBC, covering the period between his arrest and his resignation.’

Last month, BBC chairman Samir Shah issued a personal plea to Edwards to repay his salary.

‘Frankly, if Huw is listening to this: Give it back, Huw, just give it back. Really, just give it back. You know you should and you should do it,’ Dr Shah told Times Radio.

The news anchor was one of the BBC’s highest paid presenters (Picture: Jeff Overs/BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images)

He added: ‘We’ve been asking him and asking him and asking him. We’re getting legal advice on it.’

It is not the only time the BBC has called to see the money returned.

In August 2024, the BBC Board 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.’

Edwards was sentenced to a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years in September.

His sentence also included 25 rehabilitation sessions, sex offender treatment for 40 days, seven years on the sex offenders register and £3,000 in prosecution costs.

Metro has also contacted Edwards’ rep for comment.

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