A former BBC chairwoman had thanked shamed star Huw Edwards for his service while knowing he had been arrested.
Dame Elan Closs Stephens referred to the broadcaster’s former star anchor as ‘poor Huw’ on the Welsh radio programme Beti a’i Phobol.
She admitted that she knew of Edwards’ arrest in her capacity as interim chair of the Corporation but denied being aware of new ‘terrible details’ after the journalist pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children.
Dame Elan thanked Edwards ‘personally’ on the radio programme on July 2 for his ‘huge contribution’ and the ‘skills he has demonstrated’ that she said would help ‘others succeed’.
A former BBC chairwoman had thanked disgraced anchor Huw Edwards while knowing of his arrest
Dame Elan Cross Stephens referred to the disgraced presenter as ‘poor Huw’ and thanked him for his ‘huge contribution’ and ‘skills he has demonstrated’ on Welsh radio programme Beti a’i Phobol
At the time 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.’
Insisting that the new revelations had come as a shock to her, Dame Elan said she was ‘horrified by it all’, but refused to be drawn into whether she stood by her previous comments in a statement to Newyddion S4C, the BBC reported.
BBC director general Tim Davie said on Thursday that he was aware Edwards had been detained and of the nature of the charges against the presenter last November, but insisted he didn’t know the specifics of the case.
He added that police had requested that information about the case was kept confidential amid the ongoing investigation.
The findings of an internal investigation within the BBC into Edwards’ conduct have yet to be disclosed.
Edwards, who was revealed this week to have been charged in June, admitted to keeping 41 indecent and illegal images of children on his phone, of which seven were the most serious category.
Despite being taken off air in June 2023, the former BBC veteran continued to be paid his £439,000-a-year salary in the months that followed.
This week, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called on Edwards to return the £200,000 he is thought to have received since bosses found out about the allegations against him.
One of the nation’s most recognisable television figures, Edwards was face of many high profile national events including election coverage, the King’s Coronation last year and most notably announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
Married with five children, Edwards allegedly liked to swap messages with younger men and has been accused of ‘hiding in plain sight’ at the corporation.
MailOnline has contacted BBC for comment.
