'Huw Edwards return to screens isn't impossible after sex picture scandal'

13 July 2023 , 20:59

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'Huw Edwards return to screens isn't impossible after sex picture scandal'

Now the first question about the BBC star at the centre of this week of scandal has been answered – who he is – it’s been quickly followed by three more. The first is just how did Huw Edwards get himself into such a devastating mess in the first place?

Secondly, why would someone who has spent their life working their way diligently to the top of the TV game, who seemingly has everything – success, money, fame and, maybe most importantly, respect – potentially put all of it in jeopardy?

And thirdly, is there any way back for him onto our TV screens, soberly looking the nation in the eye down the camera lens as he announces the headlines of the day?

It’s quite hard to imagine at this moment but ultimately not impossible.

It emerged that Huw Edwards was the BBC presenter behind the sexual picture scandal (AFP via Getty Images)

After all, fellow newsreader Kay Burley was suspended from Sky for six months in December 2020 after breaking Covid restrictions
by having a birthday gathering and she’s back on air now, all of that a distant memory she presumably hopes everyone forgets as soon as possible.

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Obviously, Huw’s top priority is getting help for the “serious mental health issues” his wife, Vicky Flind, says he is suffering from. The road to recovery will undoubtedly be challenging and long.

The tricky thing about a return to work is that newsreaders are largely much more revered than your average TV presenter.

It’s strange, really, because both are simply able to read words from an autocue while looking into a camera but because the news is serious and important, the people who deliver it are viewed in that way, too.

That must be one of the perks of the job while you’re on top of your game but at times like this, it means it’s harder to come back after a whiff of scandal, never mind the full-on rancid stench of this week. We need to be able to trust our newsreaders in a way we mostly don’t with anyone else on television and mud, unfortunately, and often unfairly, sticks.

He could potentially return to screens, writes Polly Hudson (BBC)

What’s most interesting about this situation is the different ways different sets of people are viewing it. The empathy and sympathy for Huw’s wife and family appear to be universal but that’s where the unity ends.

For many of us of a certain age – let’s say over 40 – the idea of exchanging pictures of any body part with someone recently met online is the equivalent of stripping naked at the work Christmas party and expecting your nude Dancing Queen jiggling to help you get off with your crush from the accounts dept.

So older BBC viewers – who have reached their dotage on Countryfile and Antiques Roadshow – are horrified at the claims that a BBC stalwart would pay a teenager for explicit photos.

Those who are younger – who may occasionally have caught a BBC podcast or Radio 6 Music show – think it entirely normal, legal and a big issue only for the oldish, shrewish and prudish, although even some of them may baulk at the reportedly huge age difference between the two parties.

But for millions currently playing the dating game, sending and requesting nudes is no different than exchanging phone numbers.

Many people are trying to keep an open mind until all the allegations and claims have been fully investigated.

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Using your power and fame inappropriately, in or out of the workplace, may not be illegal but, clearly, it’s ethically and morally gross.

Equally, Edwards may well be cleared of all allegations against him.

This complicated, confusing story is still unfolding – there is much we don’t know. While the man at the centre of it is unable to explain himself, those three questions are still to be answered.

*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

Polly Hudson