DISGRACED Huw Edwards has been blasted after BBC chiefs revealed he toyed with handing back £200,000 he was paid after his arrest on paedophile charges — then kept the cash anyway.
The Beeb’s chairman told MPs yesterday there was a moment when he thought Edwards would “do the right thing for a change”.
Huw Edwards has been blasted after BBC chiefs revealed he toyed with handing back £200,000 then kept the cash anyway[/caption]
But Samir Shah said the ex-News at Ten anchor instead decided to keep the disputed £200,000 chunk of his taxpayer-funded salary.
The mum who blew the whistle on Edwards, 63, after he paid her son £35,000 for sexual pictures, declared: “Does this man not have an ounce of shame? How can he keep this money after what he’s done?”
BBC director-general Tim Davie added that the Corporation took legal advice but there was no more bosses could do to claw back the cash.
Mr Davie and Dr Shah faced the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee to answer questions about reviews into recent scandals.
Asked whether they had been able to get back the cash from Edwards, Dr Shah admitted: “We have not.
“We’ve obviously asked 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 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.”
Edwards was on £475,000-a-year when he was arrested in November 2023 over child abuse images.
He was not sacked, even though some senior BBC staff knew he had been held.
He was allowed to step down on medical grounds in April 2024.
This was after The Sun separately revealed he paid a vulnerable young man £35,000 for sex snaps.
Last July we told that he had been charged with making indecent images.
In September Edwards admitted three counts and got a suspended six-month jail term.
The mum who shopped him said: “We’re still feeling the effects of his actions while he’s enjoying all that tax-payers’ money. He’s so arrogant it makes me sick.”
Vaping Edwards was seen last month for the first time since the court case.
Dr Shah stressed that no talent is “bigger than the BBC”, referencing Edwards, and DJs Tim Westwood and Russell Brand — who is accused of sex offences.
Mr Davie also agreed the message to BBC staff is “everyone is dispensable”.
He expects a review into misconduct claims against MasterChef host Gregg Wallace, over alleged inappropriate comments, to report within weeks.
Last month the BBC Board apologised after a review found it did not take adequate action on concerns about misogyny and bullying by Westwood.
In January, a review into Brand’s conduct found staff felt he was untouchable.
Wallace, 60, Westwood, 67, and Brand, 49, all deny the claims against them.
Edwards pleaded guilty to making 41 indecent images of children[/caption]
