Huw Edwards Ordered to Return BBC Salary After Guilty Plea for Indecent Images

Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been asked by the corporation to return the salary he earned after being arrested on charges related to indecent images of children.

In a letter to staff, BBC Chair Samir Shah noted that Edwards had “behaved in bad faith.” The corporation believes he continued to receive his salary despite knowing he would plead guilty to the offences.

Edwards, who was once the BBC’s most high-profile newsreader, continued to draw his salary for five months after his arrest on three counts of making indecent images of children. During this period, he was paid more than £200,000.

The former News at Ten presenter resigned on “medical advice” following accusations that he paid a young person thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images.

The corporation’s annual report, released today, reveals that Mr. Edwards earned between £475,000 and £479,999, an increase from the £435,000 to £439,999 reported previously.

The 62-year-old, who was taken off the air when the scandal surfaced in July last year, was alleged by a newspaper to have paid the young person £35,000.

In a statement, the BBC Board expressed its support for the decisions made by the director general and his team during this period.

It was further noted that had Edwards been transparent with the BBC about his arrest, the corporation “would never have continued to pay him public money.”

“He has clearly undermined the trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute,” the statement added.

Edwards pleaded guilty in July to three counts of making indecent images of children.