BBC retains BAFTA for royal coverage amid Huw Edwards scandal but individual awards under review

The BBC will retain its BAFTA award for royal coverage hosted by the now-disgraced former newsreader Huw Edwards, but the individual awards he received are currently under review. This decision comes after Edwards pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children last month.

According to reports, seven individual presenter awards that Edwards received from BAFTA Cymru between 2002 and 2017 are now under review. A BAFTA spokesperson told Sky News: "Like everyone in the industry and country we were shocked by the news - given the seriousness of this abhorrent crime, we are reviewing."

Despite the controversy, the BBC will keep the BAFTA it won in 2012 for Edwards' coverage of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding. Additionally, the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, which also featured Edwards' commentary, secured two BAFTAs for sound and directing last year.

Beyond BAFTA, other institutions are reviewing honours previously awarded to Edwards. Cardiff University and Bangor University, which granted him honorary titles, are both conducting reviews in light of the charges. Edwards was arrested in November and charged in June, with the court hearing revealing that seven of the 41 images involved were of the most serious category.

Edwards' legal troubles surfaced a year after he was identified as the presenter involved in separate allegations of paying a young person for sexually explicit photos - a claim for which police found no evidence of criminal behaviour. Following these allegations and his subsequent suspension, Edwards resigned from the BBC in April on the advice of his doctors.

Edwards was reported to be among the BBC's highest-paid stars, earning between £435,000 and £439,999 in the 2022-2023 financial year, placing him near the top of the BBC's pay scale. Despite being off-air for much of 2023 due to the legal issues he faced, his earnings remained substantial, leading to scrutiny and debate regarding the BBC's handling of the situation.

BBC director general Tim Davie has defended the decision to keep Edwards employed until his resignation, despite being aware of the arrest in November. Edwards is scheduled to appear in court again on September 16.