BBC information presenter Huw Edwards was warned about his conduct on-line two years earlier than the scandal that triggered his departure from the company, The Sunday Instances stories.
Edwards, the chief anchor of BBC Information and the go-to presenter for the nation’s largest occasions, together with saying Queen Elizabeth’s loss of life in 2022 and helming the BBC’s protection of King Charles’ Coronation in 2023, resigned from the BBC final week, 9 months after The Solar newspaper first reported that he had paid hundreds of kilos to a youngster in change for express pictures.
The Sunday Instances stories {that a} confidential assessment into the allegations and the way the BBC handled its star presenter reveals that this was not the primary criticism made about Edwards, {that a} lady from the general public contacted the BBC in Could 2021, after exchanging messages with the information presenter on social media. The Sunday Instances says this criticism was investigated, and Edwards spoken to about his use of social media, that the pair’s interactions “needed to cease.”
The newspaper stories that the pair continued to change messages and the girl made an additional criticism in January 2022. She later retracted each complaints.
Edwards resigned final week on medical grounds after working on the BBC for 4 a long time. He has not been seen on air since his resignation final summer time, and the assertion of his departure emphasised that he had not obtained a pay-off to replicate his shortened contract. Nonetheless, he obtained full pay throughout his break day display screen (as he was entitled to beneath UK sick depart guidelines) and the BBC continues to face questions on the way it treats its most celebrated on-screen expertise, additionally the way it will deal with the presentation of archive footage that includes Edwards sooner or later.