Huw Edwards: The Sun has no plans to publish further claims

It comes as Huw Edwards was identified by his wife Vicky Flind as the BBC presenter facing the accusations over payments for sexually explicit images.

In the statement issued on behalf of Edwards, she said: “Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues.

“As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.

“We now know there was no illegality. So, what are you left with?”

Former BBC journalist Jon Sopel told ITV News’ @NathanLeeTV it would be a “crying shame if this is the last we see of Huw Edwards on television when the allegations have turned out to be not that much”.… pic.twitter.com/dX7m167yRt

— ITV News (@itvnews) July 12, 2023

“The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.”

She said that once the presenter, who has worked for the BBC for four decades and has been suspended by the broadcaster, was well enough, he “intends to respond to the stories that have been published.”

Flind added that her husband was first told there were allegations “being made against him last Thursday.”

The Sun has ‘no plans to publish further allegations’ about BBC presenter Huw Edwards

The publisher said it will “cooperate with the BBC’s internal investigation process.”

The full statement from The Sun is as follows:

“The allegations published by The Sun were always very serious. Further serious allegations have emerged in the past few days.

“It is right that the BBC’s Corporate Investigations Team continues to investigate these thoroughly and deals with them in the way that they think is appropriate.

The Sun will cooperate with the BBC’s internal investigation process (Image: Belinda Jiao/PA)

“The Sun will cooperate with the BBC’s internal investigation process.

“We will provide the BBC team with a confidential and redacted dossier containing serious and wide-ranging allegations which we have received, including some from BBC personnel.

“The Sun has no plans to publish further allegations.

“We must also re-emphasise that The Sun at no point in our original story alleged criminality and also took the decision neither to name Mr Edwards nor the young person involved in the allegations.

“Suggestions about possible criminality were first made at a later date by other media outlets, including the BBC.

“From the outset, we have reported a story about two very concerned and frustrated parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behaviour of a presenter and payments from him that fuelled the drug habit of a young person.

“We reported that the parents had already been to the police who said that they couldn’t help.

Huw Edwards’ wife Vicky Flind named him as the BBC presenter facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images in a statement.

She said he was “suffering from serious mental health issues” and is “receiving in-patient hospital care”

https://t.co/NneeE4ajHl pic.twitter.com/QJaGNT7KwA

— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 13, 2023

“The parents then made a complaint to the BBC which was not acted upon.

“It is now for the BBC to properly investigate.”

BBC boss Tim Davie issues message to staff following explicit images scandal

In a message to staff, seen by the PA news agency, the BBC’s director-general, Tim Davie, said the words from Flind were “a reminder that the last few days have seen personal lives played out in public.

“At the heart of this are people and their families.”

He said: “This will no doubt be a difficult time for many after a challenging few days.

“I want to reassure you that our immediate concern is our duty of care to all involved.”

Davie referenced an earlier request from the Metropolitan Police asking the corporation to pause its internal investigation, saying: “It is important we now continue with this work.

“I want to be clear that in doing so we will follow due process.”