Disgraced BBC News presenter Huw Edwards still hasn’t paid back his £200,000 salary to the BBC after he was still paid for five months following his arrest
Staff at the BBC are said to be frustrated that shamed Huw Edwards still hasn’t paid back his £200,000 salary, despite numerous calls. The corporation has announced the loss of 155 roles as part of cost-saving measures, with the decision causing upset among its workers.
Bosses revealed last year that they formally requested the disgraced BBC News presenter to return the wages that he received after his arrest. Edwards pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children and narrowly avoided jail.
Last year, he was given six months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to three offences of making indecent images of children. He was found to have seven Category A indecent images of children – the worst type – as well as 12 Category B, and 22 Category C images.
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Edwards first joined the BBC as a trainee in 1984 and was once the corporation’s top-earning newsreader. For the fiscal year 2023/24, he earned between £475,000 and £479,999.
Even after his arrest in November 2023, the BBC continued to pay Edwards until his resignation five months later. The BBC insisted they were demanding Edwards pay back his salary for that period, but the Mirror understands that he still hasn’t paid a penny.
“Everyone is raging about it — firstly at Huw, who is a disgrace, secondly that gutless bosses seem unwilling or unable to do anything about it,” a source told the Sun.
In a previous statement, the BBC said: “Huw Edwards has not returned any money paid to him by the BBC after his arrest, in respect of any of his work for either BBC public service or the BBC’s commercial operations.
“The BBC has asked for all the money paid to Huw Edwards by the BBC for the period November 2023 (arrest) and April 2024 (resignation) to be returned.”
In March, BBC chairman Dr Samir Shah confirmed the corporation has not been able to recover any salary from former broadcaster Edwards, which he described as “quite frustrating”.
Asked if they have been able to recover any salary from Edwards, Dr Shah said: “We have not. We’ve obviously asked, and we’ve said it many times, but he seems unwilling.
“There was a moment that we thought that he might just do the right thing for a change, then he decided not to. It’s quite frustrating this, really, because I think he should have done it.
“He could still do it. It’s not right. He’s taken licence fee payers’ money and he knew what he’d done and he should return it now.” The BBC director general also confirmed the corporation has sought legal advice and said there was nothing more it could do at that stage.
In a case that shocked the country, Westminster Magistrates Court heard disturbing details of Edwards’ communications with convicted paedophile Alex Williams who, between the years 2018 and 2021, sent the once well-regarded journalist indecent images of children.
The Mirror has contacted BBC for comment.
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