Amid the ongoing BBC presenter scandal, distinguished presenter Huw Edwards’ name has been trending on all social media platforms for all the wrong reasons after a viral photo of a man bearing resemblance to Edwards started doing the rounds online recently,
It has been reported by The Sun that a BBC household name paid 35,000 pounds over three years to a minor and obtained s*xually explicit images from him in exchange.
The teenager, in turn, allegedly used the money to fund their crack cocaine addiction.
There has been plenty of active speculation online ever since the news surfaced on social media.
On Sunday, July 9, an alleged Snapchat video of a person showing his b*ttocks was leaked online, leading netizens to believe that the unidentified BBC presenter involved in the scandal might possibly be him.
However, given the inflammatory nature of social media conjecture, it is to be noted that there is a high probability that the image doing the rounds has been doctored to resemble Huw Edwards, which in today's age of deepfakes, seems to be quite reflective of today's concerning reality.
Huw Edwards is the acclaimed BBC broadcaster of Ten O’ Clock news
61-year-old Huw Edwards has been associated with BBC since 1984. He joined as a news trainee and later became the Parliamentary Correspondent for BBC Wales. From 1994 to January 2003, he was the presenter of BBC Six O’clock News.
Later, Huw Edwards assumed the role of the main broadcaster for the BBC Ten O’clock News and has since then been a household name by remaining in the position.
Last week, when the BBC scandal emerged, names of top male BBC presenters were doing rounds on social media as part of speculations. So far, Jeremy Vine, Gary Lineker, and Rylan Clark have publicly distanced themselves from the scandal.
However, Sunday’s alleged Snapchat footage leak, the authenticity of which cannot be established, has left the internet scandalized.
Here’s how the netizens reacted at the leaked image.
In brief, looking at the BBC presenter scandal
In mid-May, the mother of the victim allegedly went and complained directly to BBC officials about how a presenter from its news outlet has been exploiting her teenage kid by giving them money (as much as 35,000 pounds so far).
She even claimed, in the report by the Sun, that the presenter had asked her teenage kid to send him s*xually explicit photos and even perform illicit acts over video calls.
The said affair began in 2020 when the young person in concern was 17 years old. Her complaint also mentioned how her child used the money for drug abuse, according to the report by The Sun.
Unfortunately, no action was taken by BBC against the alleged broadcaster. In fact, he stayed on the air until July 5 and even attended a high-profile awards ceremony alongside his colleagues during this time.
But, last week, the mother took her story to The Sun. She told the news outlet how she witnessed her child stripping their underpants for a senior BBC broadcaster.
“I blame this BBC man for destroying my child’s life and taking my child’s innocence and handing over the money for crack cocaine that could kill my child,” she said.She also mentioned that she never wanted an investigation but just for the BBC presenter to stop. But she was forced to go to the press as she felt the BBC was “not acting fast enough on her allegations.”
Interestingly, the complainant and The Sun were careful not to name the person. The Metropolitan police got involved last Friday (July 7) after the news spread. Their spokesperson said that although they hadn’t received any formal allegation so far, they were in talks with both BBC and the mother of the victim.
The latest Supreme Court ruling in the UK states that “individuals under investigation by official organizations should not be named before charges are brought because it could unfairly damage their reputation.” Moreover, the age of consent in the UK is 16, but the minimum age to send and receive explicit photographs is 18 and above.
As of July 6, the concerned BBC presenter has allegedly received a suspension. However, no confirmation on the same has come so far. BBC has, however, come forward saying that a substantial and full-blown investigation was ongoing.
On 10th July, a lawyer representing the young person told the BBC that the claims made by the mother were "rubbish". Police are assessing information from the BBC about the allegations and are making enquiries to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed, according to the BBC.
Update: Huw Edwards' wife has named him as the presenter involved in the ongoing BBC scandal.
The Metropolitan police have revealed that there is no criminal offense in the nature of the allegations leveled against the presenter.
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