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BBC wants Edwards to return salary

August 9, 2024

Disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards has been asked by the BBC to return the £200,000+ (€233,000) salary he earned after being arrested in November 2023 on child abuse image charges, as the corporation launches an independent review following the case.

New chair Samir Shah, said: “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.”

The BBC had to reveal recently that a small number of senior leaders, including Director General Tim Davie, were aware Edwards was arrested in November 2023 over three counts of making indecent images of children. He was later charged and pled guilty last week. The board said it has reviewed information provided by Davie team over the last week and “supports the decisions taken by the Director General and his team during this period.

The board noted that “the Executive has agreed to look at lessons from this period, including the BBC’s approach to the rules surrounding payments when employees are suspended.”

The Board went on to say that the events surrounding Edwards have “also put a spotlight on the question of power imbalances in the workplace.” “We remain concerned about the potential for inappropriate workplace behaviour, particularly in creative and editorial environments,” it added. “Whilst challenges related to power imbalances in the workplace are a challenge for multiple employers, the BBC must hold itself to the highest standards.”

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.”

The Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, has welcomed the BBC’s decision to launch an the review following the Edwards case. She said: “Public trust in the BBC is essential, and so I welcome the BBC’s decision to launch an independent review into the culture within the organisation following the Huw Edwards case and his abhorrent actions. The BBC is a hugely valued and important player in the public service broadcasting landscape that reaches millions every day and it is vital that the public has complete trust and faith in the organisation and in how it is run. BBC staff must be able to feel safe in the workplace and be confident that if non-editorial complaints are raised they will be acted upon and dealt with fairly and decisively. The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government, however I have spoken to the BBC chair in the past week to convey these points in the interests of the public.”

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