Dan Walker and Alastair Campbell react as Huw Edwards named as BBC presenter
Stars including Piers Morgan, Robert Peston, Dan Walker and Alastair Campbell have reacted to the news Huw Edwards has been named as the BBC presenter involved in the scandal.
The BBC News at Ten presenter was named as the man accused of allegedly paying a teenager more than £35,000 for sexually explicit pictures by his wife Vicky Flind.
Vicky named her husband as the man at the centre of the allegations in a statement issued on his behalf. Stars have been reacting to the news online.
Former BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker said on Twitter: "This is an awful situation & will come as a big shock to many. Huw Edwards is clearly not in a good place at the moment and this must be terrible for his family. I just hope that whoever needs help - on all sides of this - gets the time, space & support they need to heal." Jeremy Vine retweeted Dan's message.
Huw Edwards' wife released a statement (BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images)Alastair Campbell wrote: "Like virtually everyone else, I know absolutely nothing about the events that have led to the statement by Huw Edwards’ wife. But I do know that he is a superb broadcaster. I know too that he has a long history of depression. He and I have spoken about it often, including in an interview for @MensHealthUK shortly before the Queen’s death which he covered so brilliantly.
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"Precisely because he is both well known and well liked he is the perfect target for those who would undermine and indeed would like to destroy the BBC. Nobody should help them. The police having said no action to be taken, whatever he did or did not do is a matter for him and his family, and for the BBC. The obsession with this story has been a further sign of a media that has frankly become weird. But I hope - almost certainly in vain - that Huw and his family are given the privacy they need and to which they are entitled. And the same goes for all others involved in this story. I hope he is getting good care and wish it was available to all who struggle with their mental health."
Reverend Richard Coles tweeted as the news broke last night: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
On Robert Peston's ITV show on Wednesday night, which is edited by Huw Edwards' wife, he said: "As a journalist I have spent more or less my entire career weighing up stories by whether they are truly in the public interest or just interesting to the public. This has been on my mind a lot, following the allegations in the Sun newspaper about a BBC presenter and a young person, and a relationship between them that their parents alleged was harmful and possibly illegal.
"Tonight we heard from the Met Police that it had found no evidence of criminality. Shortly afterwards Vicky Flind made a public statement that the presenter is her husband, one of the most famous presenters in the country Huw Edwards, with whom I worked very closely when I was at the bbc.
"What few of you will know is that Vicky Flind is the editor of this show, and the person who created it with me - though she hasn't been involved tonight or at all this week. The Labour MP Jess Phillips tonight described Vicky as the nicest, kindest and most decent woman. I and everyone who works with me here would agree. It has been difficult to feel what she and her family have been going through - and to read her statement that Huw has been hospitalised with acute depression.
"None of this is to minimise complaints that have been made against Huw - or to ignore the suggestion that people and their families may have been hurt. I don't know exactly what he did, or why. The question however is whether - if it remains clear as the police say no crime was committed - there was a public interest in publishing the original story and in the subsequent coverage. Though at this point Vicky would tell me to get on with the show. So we will."
Jon Sopel, a former BBC journalist who has been North America editor, a political correspondent and presenter, tweeted: "This is an awful and shocking episode, where there was no criminality, but perhaps a complicated private life. That doesn’t feel very private now. I hope that will give some cause to reflect. They really need to. I wish @thehuwedwards well."
Andrew Marr discussed the news with Jon Sopel with LBC programme in which he said: "And so what? We're all human we've all got our frailties. We both know that Huw Edwards has a very, very lovely and much admired wife, Vicky Flind, and I think five children so there's a lot of family involved in this on his side.
"But, Jon, let me ask you this. This is not a HR issue, is it? Huw was and is for a long time the face of the BBC on big, grand, national occasions including the death of the late Queen and all of that."
BBC presenter John Simpson wrote: "I feel so sorry for everyone involved in this: for the Edwards family, for the complainants, and for Huw himself. No criminal offences were committed, so it’s a purely personal tragedy for everyone involved. Let’s hope the press leave them all alone now."
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While Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy wrote: "I don’t know about you but if there is no serious criminality, abuse of power or corruption the private lives of public figures are of no concern to me."
Speaking on his TalkTV show on Wednesday night, Piers Morgan said: "He's authoritative and above all, he's always been trusted. By all accounts, the audiences love him. I know him personally, he's always been a very stand up guy.
"But today's news that he is the presenter behind the BBC's sex pic scandal comes as a huge shock to everyone who knows him, maybe to his family, certainly to millions of people who are used to watching him on the news each night. Probably a shock to his colleagues at the BBC."
MP Jess Phillips added: "Just coming on here to say that Vicky Flind is by some distance one of the nicest, kindest and most decent women I've had the privilege to work with."
Former Downing Street Director of Communications and Controller of English news output for BBC Global News Craig Oliver commented: "Vicky Flind - who is married to Huw Edwards - is a hugely respected figure in broadcasting. As the Metropolitan Police say there is no evidence of law breaking, we should respect her call for privacy for her family, knowing we will soon hear the full story."
Former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor said: "My thoughts are with Huw Edwards, his family & friends. I implore everyone to respect their privacy."
Huw's wife Vicky's statement read: "In light of the recent reporting regarding the 'BBC Presenter' I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family.
"I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children. Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.
"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. Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published.
"To be clear Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday. In the circumstances and given Huw's condition I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected. I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation. We hope this statement will bring that to an end."
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch
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