BBC ask Huw Edwards to return part of salary

Director general Tim Davie confirmed in an interview last week that the corporation knew the presenter had been arrested over the most serious category of indecent images of children in November.

In a statement, the BBC Board said it “supports the decisions taken by the director general and his team during this period”.

It added that had Edwards 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 the trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute”.

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

It noted that while the nature of the charges relate to his own personal life, “the board believes these events have also put a spotlight on the question of power imbalances in the workplace”.

Between April 2023 and April 2024, Edwards received a salary between £475,000-£479,999, an increase of £40,000 on the previous year.

Last week, the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said Huw Edwards should return the £200,000 to the BBC.