BBC's Victoria Derbyshire was investigating Huw Edwards claims before The Sun

13 July 2023 , 11:15

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BBC's Victoria Derbyshire was investigating Huw Edwards claims before The Sun

BBC News journalists were working on a potential exposé about Huw Edwards prior to The Sun newspaper's allegations being published, it's been reported.

Newsnight anchor Victoria Derbyshire was reportedly looking into accusations about Huw's conduct prior to The Sun's initial report emerging on Friday.

Huw was identified on Wednesday as the unnamed BBC presenter The Sun alleges paid cash in exchange for images of a sexual nature from a young person.

Newsnight broadcast its finding just hours on from Huw's wife Vicky Flind identifying her husband via a statement on his behalf on Wednesday night.

Huw Edwards allegedly sent 'suggestive' message to junior BBC employees, Newsnight reports (Andy Barnes / Flynet - SplashNews / SplashNews.com)

Victoria Derbyshire's investigation reportedly 'surprised' some BBC staff members (Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I)

The BBC Two show claimed during its broadcast Huw allegedly sent "inappropriate" and "suggestive" messages to junior BBC employees, including making comments about their appearance. Though not criminal in nature, they were deemed by one recipient to be a potential abuse of power.

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Deadline reports "Victoria Derbyshire’s reporting last week raised eyebrows among some BBC staff" and it is not clear if senior editors were aware of the investigation. The publication adds: "The revelation has also sparked questions over whether allegations about Edwards were circulating in the newsroom and if senior managers were informed."

A BBC source has confirmed to the Mirror that Victoria Derbyshire and Newsnight were looking into the conduct of Huw Edwards at work prior to The Sun story - but played down reports it was a full-scale investigation. The senior source they had received some initial evidence earlier this month but it had only been fully developed this week, which led to the Newsnight report on Wednesday night.

The senior BBC source said: "It would be wrong to characterise anything before the Sun story was published as an ‘investigation’ - as a general point, in any newsroom, it’s perfectly normal for journalists to receive leads on stories, and take their own very initial soundings on these leads, some of which go on to go through the wider BBC editorial process, and some of which don’t.

"In this case, these very initial soundings, which took place in the days before last Friday, developed further after last Friday and resulted in the story you saw last night."

Huw is yet to comment on any of the allegations or reports concerning him over recent days and is currently in hospital receiving in-patient care.

On Friday, The Sun newspaper claimed an unnamed BBC presenter had paid over £35,000 to a young person for sexually explicit images. His wife Vicky Flind confirmed Huw was the man accused via a statement on Wednesday. The Metropolitan Police said on the same day that no criminal offence has been committed by the presenter.

Vicky's statement reads: "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."

Following the family statement, BBC Director-General Tim Davie said in a note to staff it is "important" that the work on the internal investigation continues, adding: "I want to be clear that in doing so we will follow due process." He also stressed that the corporation’s "immediate concern is our duty of care to all involved".

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Zoe Delaney