Huw Edwards warned by the BBC about his conduct "years before scandal" report suggests

Disgraced BBC News anchor Huw Edwards was warned about his behaviour “years before” the scandal that took him off the air, a new report has claimed. The newsreader, 62, was suspended in July 2023 amid accusations of paying a young person for sexually explicit images on multiple occasions.

Now, a report has suggested that Edwards was spoken to about his conduct twice before, in 2021 and 2022. It came after a complaint was filed by a woman in her 40s, and despite BBC bosses advising that all contact “should now cease” the pair allegedly continued talking via email.

The BBC report, which has been seen by The Times, added that the woman retracted her complaints on both occasions after being contacted directly by the Welsh newsreader. On April 22 Edwards resigned from his position and left the BBC on medical grounds.

In February, the BBC apologised to the young person’s family, admitting its “shortcomings” in how it had handled the situation. After speculation over which BBC star had paid £35,000 to a teenager for explicit photos - which forced the likes of Jeremy Vine and Gary Linekar to issue statements confirming they were not involved - it was Edwards’ wife Vickly Flind who named him, before adding that he was suffering from “serious mental health issues”.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, former editor-in-chief and chief executive of ITN, Stewart Purvis, said: “Huw Edwards has been paid half a million pounds a year to do nothing, I don't think that situation could have continued any longer.

“They're saying that it's at the request of Huw Edwards but there will be relief across the BBC that this situation has been resolved because frankly it has become embarrassing for the BBC quite how long it was taking to sort it out. You can't have the fact one of the most trusted men in Britain turns out really to not be worthy of that trust.”