'Huw Edwards will bounce back but scandal may also impact Schofield'
Huw Edwards' career will survive the storm of allegations against him, according to a crisis management expert.
The high-profile newsreader was named on Wednesday evening as the BBC presenter at the centre of allegations over payments to a 17-year-old for explicit photographs.
In a heartfelt statement, his wife Vicky Flind bravely confirmed that Huw will respond to the claims in due course and he is currently receiving hospital treatment for his mental health struggles.
Shortly before he was named, the Metropolitan Police confirmed there is no information to indicate that a criminal offence has been committed. Although the presenter has been suspended while the broadcaster carries out further investigation, at this point Huw has not resigned.
And it isn't game over for the BBC household name, according to crisis management and PR expert, Edward Coram-James. He believes Huw's career can survive the accusations and that the rally of support by fellow media stars exposes potential double standards playing out when comparing the case to Phillip Schofield - who quit ITV after admitting to having an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a younger This Morning runner.
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Edward, CEO of Go Up, told the Mirror: "Edwards' career can and will survive. The police have been clear that, after investigating the incident, no criminal behaviour has been found. In lieu of criminal behaviour, the BBC would cause public outrage were they to sack a man, considered by many to be a bit of a national treasure, that has not been accused of any criminality and who is clearly experiencing significant mental health issues, to the point of having been hospitalised.
"In these scenarios, when the media, social media and politicians have clearly gone too far, there's always an elastic band effect: the public, having been pushed, will always snap back and rally around the flag. In this case, Huw is the flag. There will be a public outcry over his treatment to date and an even greater PR meltdown were he to be let go."
The PR expert argues that Huw's longstanding journalism career will withstand the allegations (PA)
PR expert Edward Coram-James (Go Up)The PR pro argues that depending on Huw's own statement, those to potentially come worse off from the turmoil are the BBC, The Sun, and politicians and media personalities who made public statements about the unfolding events.
Edward claimed: "The people and organisations that will experience the worst of this, from a PR perspective, will almost certainly be the BBC, The Sun and the opportunistic politicians that jumped about 10 steps ahead of due process in making very serious public statements demanding accountability without even hearing from the alleged victim, the alleged perpetrator or before the police had even carried out rudimentary checks."
In the midst of a PR crisis, the two most important factors are not to panic and not to sensationalise, Edward says, who also warns about the importance of taking time to respond.
He added: "You must not let events control your response, you must allow your response to dictate events.
"What I mean by that is that, when high-profile crisis strikes, the principals will often see events moving at a million miles per hour. They will be bombarded with questions from journalists, social media users, you name it and they'll see a huge amount of headlines.
"This can lead to the erroneous conclusion that they need to react at the same pace as everyone else. But this can result in hurried, ill-thought-through statements and actions that appear to be made in a panic."
Following Huw's identity being revealed, a number of stars released statements in support of the News at Ten newsreader, who has a BBC career spanning 40 years, including Piers Morgan, Robert Peston, Dan Walker and Alastair Campbell.
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.
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BBC restarts internal investigation into Huw Edwards allegations (PA)While 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.
"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."
Edward says the supportive aftermath could spark the case of Phillip Schofield to be revisited amid glaring 'double standards' after it appears he lost everything after opening up about his affair. He added: "Both were accused of relatively similar things. Neither was accused of any criminality nor was either accused of non-mutual conduct."
"Both were pushed to the limits of what they could mentally endure. And yet, when news broke that Edwards was the BBC presenter in question, celebrities, politicians and corporations alike jumped to his defence, releasing statements of solidarity about mental health and the importance of privacy during such times."
The PR expert claims it exposes double standards between the two presenters (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)He asks: "Why did Schofield not receive the same treatment? Why did he lose his job, his reputation and even his friendship with Willoughby? In the court of public opinion, this will play very badly and I believe that many will take another look at the Schofield issue and wonder whether he may have been treated rather unfairly by ITV and Willoughby."
The press guru argues that Edwards' successful career won't have been tarnished with public empathy on his side. However, he says while his work life could get back to normal, he might never recover from the emotional toll the scandal taken on his mental health, something he has openly admitted to suffering with over the years.
He adds: "Unless facts come out that are very damaging to him, it would be extremely ill-advised for the BBC to let him go, lest they wish to face the wrath of an angry public. But, whereas his career should be safe, no one should ever underestimate the scale of the mental toil that this will have taken on him.
"As said, public lynchings like this are extremely difficult for anyone to get through unscathed and at Go Up we often find ourselves having to help our clients navigate this kind of PR fallout not only practically but also emotionally. The only person that this could be considered a good day for is Phil Schofield. Having just been through a very similar scenario, he will know all too well what Edwards has gone through.
"But, the double standard in the reaction between how TV personalities and politicians immediately jumped to Edwards' defence, versus Schofield being hung out to dry, will give him and his career a lifeline. The contrast is too stark to go unnoticed, and it will give him the ability to be given a second chance."
*Edward Coram-James has no connection with either Huw Edwards or Phillip Schofield and has never represented them in any capacity.
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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