By Gabriel Princewill-
BBC presenter, Huw Edwards,(pictured) must never be allowed back on air, if indeed he paid £35k for the nude pictures of a 17 year old girl.
The story was given by the estranged parents of the girl in question, after their initial complaints to the BBC had been to no avail, and Mr Edwards remained on air.
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Despite a denial of the claim issued by the unnamed girl in question, The Sun newspaper has stood by its position that it has seen evidence to back up its story. The account of the beneficiary of such huge amounts of money cannot trump the evidential though undisclosed evidence held by the the British publication.
A number of friends and associates of the fallen television presenter have called for Mr Edwards to eventually be allowed back on television once he receives rehabilitation and the BBC completes its investigation.
The police have said no criminality arose from the allegations made against Mr. Edwards, leading some to erroneously consider this as legitimate grounds for a future return on television.
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And a poll conducted by the Mirror last week indicated that its readers wants BBC’s highest presenter back on air- a none starter in a situation of this magnitude.
However, a proper evaluation conducted by The Eye Of Media.Com shows that the days of Mr Edwards as a television presenter are over, except in the very unlikely event the allegations are shown to be completely untrue.
The issue of criminality does not arise when it comes to matters concerning the crossing of ethical boundaries. The media runs the risk of deteriorating into a collective body comprising unscrupulous individuals with no moral compass, the more it succumbs to the indefensible custom of paying allegiance to rich and powerful men whose serious misconduct have shown them up.
As a BBC presenter, Mr Edwards held a position of trust and influence in the public eye. His actions, even if not criminal, betray the trust that viewers and the BBC placed in him to uphold moral standards and serve as a responsible role model.
The presenter’s offer of money to a teenager for explicit nude photos of themselves crosses the boundaries of acceptable ethical standards.
The fact the teenager in question used the money to fund a crack cocaine habit exacerbates the situation. No facts have been presented to state whether the 61 year old presenter was aware the young girl had a drug habit, but a man of his status and position is expected to know that a girl of her age could easily have a drug habit.
Besides, the payment of such sums of money for naked pictures represents an intolerable abuse of power and position.
Most independent professionals consulted about this matter agree that a BBC presenter’s image is intrinsically linked to the broadcaster’s reputation. Allowing Mr Edwards back on air might damage public trust in the BBC’s ability to maintain ethical standards.
Members of the public in support of his return are unlikely to be fully representative of the British public as a whole.
There are also concerns that allowing the presenter to return without appropriate consequences could set a dangerous precedent that signals leniency towards misconduct by public figures, thereby undermining the broadcaster’s commitment to accountability.
On Tuesday, Tim Davie said the corporation would take its time with a fact-finding mission looking at claims against its best-known newsreader, after two police forces concluded Edwards had no criminal case to answer.
Mr Davie was also asked about holding the BBC’s high-paid talent to account, responding: “I think the history of this industry is such that we should all be concerned and appropriately diligent around the abuse of people in powerful positions”.
He added: “You need to ensure that you’re very, very clear on what your expectations are culturally, as well as the policy.”
He went on to say he was “proud” of the corporation’s code of conduct and values, calling the whistleblowing process by which staff can confidentially report concerns to an external support at work line “a safe place”.
The BBC boss also confirmed to peers that high-profile presenters at the corporation have a clause in their contract about not bringing the BBC into disrepute.
Edwards was taken off air earlier this month after the Sun published allegations he had paid £35,000 to an adult with a drug addiction in return for explicit pictures. The tabloid subsequently backtracked on its implication that Edwards may have committed a criminal offence by buying pictures when the individual was 17.
The presenter, one of the BBC’s highest earners, is still receiving his full £435,000-a-year salary while suspended from the corporation.
Davie told the House of Lords communications committee on Tuesday: “This has been a difficult affair where we have tried to calmly and reasonably navigate some difficult concerns around the allegations themselves, duty of care, privacy and legitimate public interest.
“We are in the process of looking at those facts, we are keen to receive any information, we want to understand anything that is out there. It’s difficult to give a precise time on that because you have to go through that diligently, assess the information, there are duty of care concerns within that. Because I’m not in control of all the variables that could take weeks or a couple of months or even longer, depending on what we get and managing the individuals concerned flawlessly.”
Huw Edwards was up until the latest revelation considered a man of high standing in the BBC.
In 2011, Edwards and his team won a BAFTA for Best Coverage of a Live Event for their work covering William and Kate’s, now Prince and Princess of Wales, wedding.
He also presented the BBC coverage for Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor, in May 2018, as well as the Diamond and Platinum Jubilees of the late Queen Elizabeth in 2012 and 2022 respectively and he also fronted up the coverage of Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021.
He has been a big name in the media for many years, but the serious allegations against him makes a return to television presenting unworkable .
It is a relatively safe assumption to conclude that it won’t happen.
The BBC was contacted for comment about the prospect of Mr. Edward returning to our screens as a presenter.
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