THE OBSERVER: In one week, the allegations and responses to them have plunged the national broadcaster into yet another crisis – and raised serious questions about the Murdoch tabloid
It was a grim sort of guessing game played across Britain last week: who was the mystery BBC broadcaster who had reportedly paid £35,000 to a young person in exchange for sexual images? By Tuesday the field of suspects had narrowed, as horrified presenters, misidentified in social media posts, attempted to distance themselves. Then on Wednesday came the revelation: the hidden man at the centre of this tabloid newspaper accusation was Huw Edwards, the BBC’s lead news anchor, whose calm and authoritative voice had announced the death of the Queen.
The astonishing allegations carried in the Sun newspaper last weekend have split the nation and put many leading commentators at loggerheads, to say nothing of pitting an endangered BBC against Rupert Murdoch’s news empire.
“The idea a big public figure has a double life is going to excite huge interest, but we don’t know the facts yet,” said one former senior BBC news chief. “The BBC must work out if it has been brought into disrepute. The claims could certainly be construed as very undermining of Edwards’ role as the face of the BBC’s coverage of state occasions. He has a special relationship of trust with the public.” » | Vanessa Thorpe and Jon Ungoed-Thomas | Saturday, July 15, 2023
Huw Edwards: Huge pressure to name presenter amid allegations, BBC chair says: The BBC was under "huge pressure" to reveal that Huw Edwards was the presenter facing media allegations last week, its acting chairwoman has said. »
