THE BBC has asked former top news anchor Huw Edwards to repay more than £200,000 which he was paid between his arrest in November 2023 and leaving the corporation in April this year.
Last month, a court heard Edwards plead guilty to “making” indecent photographs of children, with seven of the 41 being of the most serious type, between December 2020 and August 2021, when he was still a fixture on the BBC.
BBC director-general Tim Davie admitted earlier this month that he knew Edwards had been arrested in November over the most serious category of indecent images of children.
However, the corporation kept Edwards on the payroll for five more months, handing him more than £200,000 which it now wants back.
A statement from the corporation said Edwards had “undermined trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute”.
It went on: “There is nothing more important than the public’s trust in the BBC; the BBC board is the custodian of that trust.
“The board has met a number of times over the last week to review information provided by the executive relating to Huw Edwards. The board’s focus has been principally around two issues.
“Firstly, what was known in the lead up to Mr Edwards being charged and pleading guilty last Wednesday to making indecent images of children; and, secondly, the specifics of the BBC’s handling of the complaints and the BBC’s own investigations into Mr Edwards, prior to his resignation on April 22, 2024”.
The statement went on to say: “Today, the Board has authorised the executive to seek the return of salary paid to Mr Edwards from the time he was arrested in November last year.
READ MORE: Top Channel 4 news anchor hits out at BBC bosses for avoiding scrutiny
“Mr Edwards pleaded guilty to an appalling crime. Had he been up front when asked by the BBC about his arrest, we would never have continued to pay him public money. He has clearly undermined trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute.”
It also announced that the board has commissioned an independent review that will “make recommendations on practical steps that could strengthen a workplace culture in line with BBC values”.
BBC presenter Jeremy Vine has said the corporation must answer whether it knew Edwards would plead guilty to the charges during the five month period after his arrest when he was still being paid.
Before Edwards resigned, he was the broadcaster’s highest-paid newsreader, with a pay bracket between £475,000 and £479,999 for the year 2023-24, according to the BBC’s latest annual report.
It marked a £40,000 pay rise from 2022/23, when he was paid between £435,000 and £439,999.
In an interview with BBC News on August 1 the director-general defended the rise, saying it was made up of an “inflationary increase” and work Edwards did at the BBC in February 2023 before any allegations were made.
Davie also said in the same interview that the corporation would “look at all options” in trying to reclaim pay from Edwards after the revelations, but ruled out doing the same for his pension due to legal reasons.
The BBC previously said after Edwards’ guilty plea that if he had been charged while he was still an employee it would have sacked him, but at the point of charge he no longer worked for the corporation.
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