Huw Edwards pay rise defended by BBC boss amid outrage to £40k increase: 'Ripping off licence fee payers!'

The BBC reported on Tuesday the seasoned broadcaster saw his salary increase by £40,000 in the same year.

His suspension came last July after The Sun reported he had paid a young person for sexually explicit images, but police didn't take action, citing there was no evidence of a criminal offence.

Edwards' employer had been paying him between £435,000 and £439,999 in 2022/2023, but this amount rose to between £475,000 and £479,999 between April 2023 and April 2024.

The BBC's latest annual report has cited the figures, with Edwards remaining on the payroll while suspended, per BBC policy.

His official departure from the BBC came months after the allegations were published, during which time Edwards' wife Vicky Flind said he had been hospitalised with "serious mental health issues".

On the salary increase, BBC director-general Tim Davie defended the decision: "We've said that before, no settlement payment. I think that’s inappropriate with an individual case like this.

"Look, we are always trying to be very judicious with the spending of public money and no one wants to waste a pound. But what you're trying to do, and from the onset of that affair, was trying to act proportionally, fairly and navigate this appropriately.

"I think that’s what we did and it ended up in the conclusion, we all know, but I think we wouldn’t have wasted money if we weren’t doing the right thing."

It comes as the news of the pay increase left some people criticising the broadcaster, with many taking to social media amid the payment revelations on Tuesday.

Airing their thoughts on X, one person wrote: "The top 4 high earners at the BBC. Huw Edwards £47,500 despite being off air. Ripping off the licence payers as usual. #DefundTheBBC."

"Huw Edwards salary actually went up by £40K while he was absent from the BBC. Difficult to take in whilst #bbclocalradio has been cut to shreds. Does the #BBC have no awareness of how this 'news' comes across?" a second fumed.

A third penned: "Huw Edwards gets a pay RISE worth more than many people earn, worth more than 3 times the state pension, or about DOUBLE the minimum wage. #DefundTheBBC."

However, others defended the BBC's policy, with one arguing: "People complaining that Huw Edwards was (not now) receiving his salary when going through a disciplinary procedure: that is the law.

"If you ever trigger an investigation for any misconduct by your employer, and their sloppiness takes 9 months to do it, you still get paid too." (sic)

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Meanwhile, football pundit Gary Lineker topped the list of the BBC's highest-paid stars for the seventh year in a row.

Lineker earned between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999 in the last financial year. Zoe Ball is second on the list having earned between £950,000 and £954,999 - down £30,000 from last year.

In April, it was announced after a long absence that Edwards had officially resigned "on medical advice".

"Huw Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC," a statement said. "After 40 years of service, Huw has explained that his decision was made on the basis of medical advice from his doctors.

"The BBC has accepted his resignation which it believes will allow all parties to move forward. We don't believe it appropriate to comment further."

Edwards was among the BBC's most recognisable news reporter, often being chosen to cover major national events such as the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.