The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) is reconsidering the awards previously granted to Huw Edwards following his guilty plea to charges of viewing child sexual abuse images.
Bafta announced it is evaluating the seven awards given to Edwards in light of the severity of his crimes. Edwards, 62, admitted to viewing 41 indecent images of children, some as young as seven, at a hearing in Westminster magistrates court last Wednesday.
Several universities have also moved to dissociate themselves from the former BBC newsreader. Cardiff University, Bangor University, and York St John University are all reviewing honorary titles and degrees previously awarded to Edwards.
Tim Davie, BBC’s director-general, is under scrutiny for keeping Edwards on full pay after his arrest in November. Despite being suspended in July over unrelated allegations, Edwards continued to receive his salary of over £475,000 until his resignation in April.
Edwards received seven presenting awards from Bafta Cymru between 2002 and 2017. He was also part of BBC teams that won UK-wide awards for covering Prince William’s wedding in 2011 and the Madrid bombings in 2004.
A Bafta spokesperson stated: “Like everyone in the industry and country, we were shocked by the news this week. Given the seriousness of this abhorrent crime, we are reviewing.”
Cardiff Council has removed a commemorative plaque from its castle’s interpretation centre, opened by Edwards in 2008. Cardiff University has taken down his image from its website and is reviewing his honorary fellowship and professor position.
The BBC has begun to remove footage featuring Edwards from its iPlayer archive, focusing initially on lighter programming. However, the corporation is balancing this with the historical significance of some of Edwards’ work.
A BBC spokesperson commented: “We are actively considering the availability of our archive. While we don’t routinely delete content, we do review the continued use and re-use of material on a case-by-case basis.”
Edwards’ initial suspension by the BBC was due to allegations that he paid a young person £35,000 for explicit pictures. Despite the Metropolitan Police ending their investigation without finding evidence of criminal activity, the BBC’s decision to retain Edwards on the payroll has faced criticism.
An anonymous source criticised the BBC’s handling of the situation, suggesting the corporation appeared to protect Edwards. Tim Davie defended the decision, citing the duty of care towards Edwards as he was arrested but not charged at the time.
