Huw Edwards expose 'being worked on by BBC journalists BEFORE sex pic complaint was made' - new twist
BBC journalists were working on a potential Huw Edwards revelation before The Sun launched their "sex pic" scandal, it has been claimed
PA
BBC journalists were working on a potential Huw Edwards revelation before The Sun launched their "sex pic" scandal, it has been claimed.
Sources at the BBC claim presenter Victoria Derbyshire was investigating accusations about Edwards’ conduct in the days before The Sun made its claims.
Sources at the BBC claim presenter Victoria Derbyshire was investigating accusations about Edwards’ conduct in the days before The Sun made its claims
PA
Last week Derbyshire’s enquiries sparked concern among BBC staff, but it is not clear if senior editors in the news team were aware of the work, according to Deadline.
The revelation has raised concerns about whether allegations regarding Edwards were circulating in the newsroom and if senior managers were informed.
BBC's Newsnight revealed its findings on Wednesday night, just hours after Edwards was named as the presenter at the centre of the "sex pic scandal".
The BBC2 show reported that Edwards allegedly sent “inappropriate” and “suggestive” messages to junior BBC employees, including making comments about their appearance.
Reporters credited within the story included: Derbyshire, BBC News Special Correspondent Lucy Manning and Luke Jones, a radio presenter.
Huw Edwards was named as the BBC presenter at the centre of sexually explicit image allegations by his wife, Vicky Flind yesterday.
In a statement, Flind said her husband was “suffering from serious mental health issues” and is now “receiving in-patient hospital care where he will stay for the foreseeable future” as she asked for privacy for her family.
Some have raised questions about how much work Derbyshire dedicated to the Edwards story prior to The Sun‘s front page splash last Friday.
Two BBC insiders claim Derbyshire had been looking into the issue for “a while” and had contacted multiple individuals regarding rumours about Edwards’ alleged behaviour.
However, a third BBC source said work examining the rumours involved just one conversation with one individual, and this ultimately deemed that there was no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Edwards.
Edwards has received an influx of support after officers found that 'no offence has been committed'PAThis source said they would not describe the reporting as an investigation.
BBC insiders told Deadline it was highly unusual for one news presenter to proactively look into a fellow BBC News presenter.
One source said it was “surreal,” but another argued that it was on-brand for Derbyshire, saying she styles herself as a “voice for the underdogs.”
Emily Maitlis, the former Newsnight presenter, said on her podcast The News Agents that it was “a bit distasteful” for journalists to be reporting on the allegations rather than referring them to management.
Maitlis said: “If you know this stuff about a colleague, why isn’t your first duty to then go to HR or a senior manager … rather than turning it into a news story."