Disgraced former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards has refused to return £200,000 in salary he received between his arrest and resignation, the BBC chairman has revealed.
Samir Shah told MPs that Edwards has kept the money paid to him after his arrest on child pornography charges, despite multiple requests from the corporation.
The former News at Ten presenter was arrested in November 2023 but did not resign until April 2024, during which time he continued to receive his substantial BBC salary.
Edwards, 63, was later convicted after pleading guilty to accessing indecent images of children as young as seven.
The BBC has repeatedly asked Edwards to return the money, but Shah said the former presenter appears "unwilling" to do so.
Appearing before the Commons culture, media and sport committee on Tuesday, Shah expressed his frustration with Edwards' refusal to repay the money.
Huw Edwards received a suspended sentence for his crimes
PA"We've obviously asked, and we've said it many times, but he seems unwilling," Shah told MPs.
The BBC chairman revealed there had been a brief moment when it appeared Edwards might relent.
"There was a moment that we thought he might just do the right thing for a change, then he decided not to," he said.
The revelation has sparked outrage, with the mother who initially reported Edwards to authorities saying, according to The Sun: "Does this man not have an ounce of shame? How can he keep this money after what he's done?"
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Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children PAEdwards was on a £475,000-a-year salary at the time of his arrest.
Edwards was suspended by the BBC following allegations in The Sun newspaper that he had paid a young person for sexually explicit photos.
In July 2024, he was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children, which included receiving digital copies of such material.
The images were shared in a WhatsApp chat between December 2020 and April 2022, with some depicting children as young as seven.
Edwards pleaded guilty to all charges at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 31 July.
In September 2024, he received a six-month suspended prison sentence and was placed on the sex offenders' register.
Following his conviction, the BBC began removing his appearances from some of its archive footage, including a Doctor Who episode featuring his voice.
A mural of Edwards in his hometown was painted over, and a plaque honouring him at Cardiff Castle was removed.
Shah made his frustration clear to the committee, saying: "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 should return it now," the BBC chairman added.
BBC director-general Tim Davie confirmed to MPs that the corporation had sought legal advice on the matter.
However, Davie said there was nothing more the BBC could do at this stage to recover the funds.
Edwards was not sacked following his arrest, even though some senior BBC staff were aware he had been detained.
Instead, he was allowed to step down on medical grounds in April 2024, having been hospitalised with depression following the allegations against him.
During the committee hearing, Shah emphasised that "no one is untouchable" at the BBC, addressing the numerous conduct reviews of high-profile former employees.
"No one is bigger than the BBC. It's really, really important. It's 2025, we can't have this kind of behaviour and find it acceptable," he stated.
Huw Edwards officially resigned from the BBC in April last year
GettyShah stressed the importance of creating an environment where staff feel able to voice concerns.
Tim Davie also revealed that an external review into misconduct allegations against MasterChef host Gregg Wallace is expected to return findings within "weeks not months".
Wallace stepped away from the BBC1 cooking show while production company Banijay UK investigates historical allegations of misconduct.
The BBC has recently faced scrutiny over its handling of cases involving Russell Brand and Tim Westwood, with reviews finding inadequate action was taken on concerns about their behaviour.
