Defined | BBC presenter scandal: A take a look at timeline of occasions, allegations & media response

In the assertion, Ms. Flind said that the 61-year-old host of BBC’s flagship present ‘News at 10’ is affected by ‘serious mental health issues’ and is now receiving in-patient care at a hospital, the place he’ll keep for the foreseeable future. She added that Mr. Edwards has been battling extreme melancholy lately.

A display screen in BBC Broadcasting home, in central London, displaying a photograph of presenter Huw Edwards, in London, Wednesday, July 12, 2023.

The information was first damaged by British tabloid The Sun on July 7, when it revealed {that a} BBC information presenter had allegedly payed £35,000 since 2020 to somebody who was then a youngster in return for ‘sordid images’. Mr. Edwards was suspended by the BBC after additional particulars of the scandal emerged.

Mr. Edwards, a Welsh journalist who started his profession with the BBC in 1984, has been the broadcaster’s prime newsreader, usually heading its flagship exhibits — Six O’ Clock News and Ten O’ Clock News. Apart from masking a number of elections, he has additionally offered BBC’s commentary on the Olympic ceremonies and lately delivered the information of Queen Elizabeth II’s demise to a grieving nation.

 What is the allegation?

On July 7, The Sun reported {that a} ‘top BBC presenter’ was taken off air as allegations of him paying a youngster for sexual photographs had been being investigated. Speaking to the lady’s mom, the tabloid reported that the fee was allegedly used to fund a drug behavior. The mom claimed that the BBC star had been paying her little one since 2020, when she was 17, demanding specific pictures through ‘sleazy messages’.

Photo of The Sun tabloid’s frontpage on July 7
| Photo Credit:
Sky News

The report instantly triggered an uproar with many BBC presenters coming underneath the cloud of suspicion on social media. Several prime BBC hosts corresponding to Jeremy Vine, Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark and Nicky Campbell had been purported to be the presenter in query, and confronted extreme assaults.

On July 9, BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nicky Campbell publicly refuted claims and reported to the London Metropolitan police after being wrongly named because the BBC presenter on the centre of the scandal. Similarly, BBC’s Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker tweeted, “Hate to disappoint the haters but it’s not me”. TV host Rylan Clark additionally wrote, “Not sure why my names floating about but re that story in the Sun – that ain’t me babe”. BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine too echoed Mr. Clark, tweeting, “it certainly ain’t me.”

Meanwhile, the lady’s lawyer, on July 11, instructed BBC that “nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality,” rubbishing The Sun’s report. Defending its reporting, The Sun mentioned that the involved dad and mom filed a grievance to the BBC. However, no motion had been taken on it.

As thriller across the accused BBC presenter continued, the London Metropolitan police issued an announcement that they’d concluded their evaluation and that there was no indication {that a} prison offence had been dedicated. While the age of consent within the UK is 16, photographs of any individual underneath 18 might be thought of ‘child pornography’.

What was BBC’s response?

After The Sun report broke, the BBC, on July 10, said that it had been conscious of a grievance in opposition to a male presenter in May, however “new allegations were put of a different nature.” Without naming Mr. Edwards, the British nationwide broadcaster mentioned that it had suspended a male workers member after allegations of funds for sexually specific pictures of teenager. The information home, which is publically funded and operates underneath the UK’s Culture Ministry, was pulled up by state minister Lucy Frazer who spoke with BBC Director General Tim Davie concerning the ‘deeply concerning allegations.’ Mr. Davie assured her that the BBC was “investigating swiftly and sensitively”.

BBC Director General Tim Davie
| Photo Credit:
Hannah McKay

The Sun launched the textual content messages between the ‘BBC presenter’ and the lady, claiming that the BBC star had by no means hidden his id to the then-17-year-old and had contacted her ‘out of the blue’.

The BBC then launched a timeline of the intercourse scandal starting from May when it first obtained the grievance in opposition to its star presenter Huw Edwards.

May: Victim’s household complains to BBC about ‘presenter’

As per the BBC account, a member of the family of the sufferer complained to the BBC’s company investigations crew a couple of BBC presenter’s behaviour. While the grievance didn’t embrace an allegation of criminality, the allegations had been critical sufficient to benefit additional investigation.

June: BBC begins inside probe

Initial communication between BBC and the household was established to confirm id and the grievance. However, later, the household claimed that the ‘no one from BBC rang them up for a proper interview’. BBC claims that whereas an preliminary name was tried, no extra makes an attempt had been made to contact the household. The case, nonetheless, remained open.

July 6: The Sun contacts BBC with allegations

The Sun contacted the BBC’s company press workplace relating to allegations in opposition to Mr. Edwards of fee for sexually specific pictures of a youngster. The BBC claimed that ‘new allegations’ had been dropped at gentle, totally different from these obtained by the investigations crew. Mr. Edwards was made conscious of the allegations and the company agreed to take him off air whereas the allegations had been being investigated. The Welsh journalist final appeared on air in Edinburgh for a particular broadcast on Scottish celebrations for the coronation of King Charles III.

July 7-8: The Sun breaks story on BBC presenter, BBC contacts police

The Sun’s story broke, quoting the sufferer’s mom. After the revelations, BBC contacted the Metropolitan police and resumed its inside investigation.

July 9-10: BBC suspends presenter

Without naming him, BBC suspended Mr. Edwards, who allegedly contacted the lady and appealed to them to name their mom and cease the investigation. The sufferer’s lawyer denied the allegations, whereas the Sun stood by its report claiming it was voicing the story of ‘two very concerned parents who had complained to BBC about its presenter’s behaviour’.

July 11: Second sufferer emerges

BBC accepted that ‘lessons were to be learned’ from the investigation and that protocols in place could be assessed. Moreover, one other younger individual instructed BBC that the ‘presenter’ (Mr. Edwards) contacted them on a relationship app and requested to satisfy, threatening them, however by no means did. The second sufferer (a 23-year-old) additionally revealed that they had been despatched abusive messages once they hinted at going public. These allegations had been additionally reported by the Sun.

July 12: Presenter is recognized as Huw Edwards, police discover no criminality

Police closed the investigation after deciding that there was no indication of a prison offence. Meanwhile, Huw Edwards was revealed to be the accused BBC presenter, confirmed by his spouse Vicky Flind. She additionally detailed Mr. Edwards’ psychological ill-health, requesting the general public to respect her household’s privateness.

While the police investigation ended, BBC continues to research the allegations. Fresh claims of inappropriate behaviour by Mr. Edwards in direction of junior workers are being probed. Two present workers members and one former worker claimed they had been despatched uncomfortable messages by Mr. Edwards. The Sun has handed over a confidential and redacted file containing critical and wide-ranging allegations to the BBC crew and plans to publish no additional allegations in opposition to Mr. Edwards.

The BBC’s prime administration together with Director-general Time Davie, performing chair Elan Closs Stephens have been pulled up by the British House of Lords over the controversy, in keeping with the Express. The Lords’ Communications and Digital Committee known as the 2 chiefs for a gathering on July 18 pertaining to the allegations, BBC’s response and the broadcaster’s system to deal with such complaints.

BBC Vs Sun: War over information protection

While BBC admitted errors in addressing the intercourse scandal, it attacked the Sun over its reportage. Firing off questions to the tabloid, the BBC demanded proof of the express pictures despatched to Mr. Edwards by the 17-year-old. The information home questioned why the Sun didn’t cowl the lady’s denial in its reportage and why it didn’t title Mr. Edwards in its preliminary expose.

In response, the Sun demanded that BBC reply its allegations relating to the funds, the threatening and inappropriate messages despatched to a youngster, and the BBC investigation previous to the Sun’s expose. It additionally highlighted the cracks in BBC’s grievance system, the unpublished allegations and the silence amongst BBC workers.

Supporting the BBC, two different information businesses, The Guardian and The Independent,questioned the Sun’s reportage, asking if its report alleges any crime and if the tabloid had proof to again its claims. The tabloid – owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch – has additionally been criticised for sensationalising a delicate problem, not establishing criminality and never quoting the alleged sufferer, who has now rubbished the Sun’s report.