BBC Chairman Urges Disgraced Former News Anchor: 'Do The Right Thing And Return The Money'
Disgraced former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards has been urged to return the hundreds of thousands of pounds he received in salary while under arrest for making indecent images of children.
Edwards, previously the BBC's senior news presenter who fronted events including The Queen's funeral in 2022, was convicted in July 2024. He had been suspended from the BBC in July 2023 pending investigation and arrested four months later. He didn't resign from the Corporation until April 2024, and the following July pleaded guilty to the charges.
More from Deadline
'Line of Duty' Star Martin Compston Says BBC Hit Police Corruption Drama Would Return "For The Right Reasons"
'The Bombing Of Pan Am 103': BBC & Netflix Unveil Trailer For Lockerbie Series Starring Connor Swindells & Patrick J. Adams
BBC's Iconic Kids Show 'Blue Peter' Enters New Era With Format Revamp & Studio Move
During his time while still officially an employee but not working, Edwards pocketed £200,000 (USD$266,000) in salary and it is this money the BBC now wants back.
Saturday BBC chairman Samir Shah made a public plea that Edwards hand back the money. He told Times Radio:
'If Huw is listening to this: Give it back Huw, just give it back. Really, just give it back. You know you should and you should do it.
'We've been asking him and asking him and asking him … we're getting legal advice on it.'
The BBC – which has faced widespread criticism for its handling of the Edwards debacle – has long explained that its hands were tied. Edwards was still an employee when he was signed off from work with mental health issues, and BBC protocols meant that his salary was protected during that period.
The broadcaster has also faced challenges editing Edwards out of popular programmes like Doctor Who, and many live events broadcast by the BBC over the past 20 years.
Best of Deadline
2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Brad Pitt's Apple 'F1' Movie: Everything We Know So Far
Everything We Know About 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 So Far
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
34 minutes ago
- USA Today
'Harry Potter' HBO series continues casting, picking Draco, Lucius Malfoy
'Harry Potter' HBO series continues casting, picking Draco, Lucius Malfoy Show Caption Hide Caption Harry Potter's Tom Felton talks Broadway at Tony Awards Tom Felton talks about joining the Broadway show "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" at the Tony Awards red carpet. The cast of the highly anticipated "Harry Potter" TV show is continuing to take shape. Draco Malfoy, Harry's classmate and foil, will be played by Lox Pratt, while his father, Lucius Malfoy, will be played by Johnny Flynn. Pratt is best known for the BBC's television adaptation of "Lord of the Flies," while Flynn stars in the Netflix thriller "Ripley" and appeared in the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma" alongside Anya Taylor-Joy. Some of Harry's kin have also been cast – Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley will be played by Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby, respectively. Molly Weasley, the mother of main character Ron Weasley, will be played by Katherine Parkinson, and Bertie Carvel will portray Cornelius Fudge. Meet your new Harry Potter: HBO series casts Harry, Ron and Hermione The HBO show, which is expected to premiere toward the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027, follows in the footsteps of a wildly successful movie franchise and an even more successful book series. J.K. Rowling, the author of the wizarding novels, will serve as executive producer on the program. 'Harry Potter' cast: Who's starring in HBO show? In May, the actors who would portray the three leading characters – Harry, Ron and Hermione – were announced following a casting call put out by the studio seeking actors between the ages of 9 and 11 for the parts. The show appears intent on casting actors who mirror the real ages of the characters in the series. Dominic McLaughlin is set to play Harry, while Arabella Stanton will play Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout will play Ron. Tom Felton weighs in on J.K. Rowling controversy as he sets 'Harry Potter' Broadway run Much like the actors who played the wizarding trio in the original films, McLaughlin, Stanton and Stout will age in real time alongside their characters as the television show is released over the course of 10 years. Through a television series format as opposed to the films, the show will be able to "dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years,' according to Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content. The series had previously cast several of its supporting roles, with John Lithgow set to play Dumbledore, Nick Frost starring as Hagrid and Paapa Essiedu playing Snape. It has not yet been announced who will play Voldemort, the series' overarching villain portrayed in the movies by Ralph Fiennes. Fiennes himself has backed the idea of Cillian Murphy getting the role. Contributing: Brendan Morrow, Mary Walrath-Holdridge
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Windows smashed at BBC building and daubed with ‘Free Gaza' graffiti
The BBC's Newcastle headquarters has been sprayed with graffiti saying 'Free Gaza', had its windows smashed and glass doors damaged. Northumbria Police has appealed for information following the attack on the building in the early hours of Tuesday. A post shared on social media showed graffiti on the building which said: 'LIARS' and 'Free Gaza' in red paint. The force said: 'Shortly before 2.50am today, we received a report of criminal damage at a premises on Barrack Road in Newcastle. 'It was reported that red paint had been sprayed on the outside of the building earlier that morning, and damage had been caused to the front entrance doors. 'Enquiries into the report are ongoing, and anyone with information should send us a direct message on social media, or by using live chat and report forms on our website.' A BBC spokesman said: 'We take the safety and security of our staff extremely seriously. Our BBC local news teams in Newcastle have a remit to report on local news across the North East and Cumbria accurately and impartially, and will continue to do so. 'We are working closely with the police who are investigating.' A clean-up operation had wiped off the graffiti by Tuesday lunchtime and workmen had made repairs to the smashed doors and windows, sweeping up glass and boarding up the damage. The BBC building, nicknamed the Pink Palace, is the home of its Look North (North East and Cumbria) TV news output and BBC Radio Newcastle.


Buzz Feed
2 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Mallya's Masterclass: 10 Ways To Avoid Blame
The internet lost its mind when Vijay Mallya made his first-ever appearance on YouTuber Raj Shamani's podcast, Out of Nowhere, after NINE years! The king of good times has returned, and it has people equally confused and entertained with this intriguing episode. For those who are not aware, Vijay Mallya is an Indian businessman—owner of United Breweries (makers of Kingfisher), Kingfisher Airlines, and founder of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (IPL Cricket Team). He was a prominent figure in India's corporate and social circles. Things took a major turn when Kingfisher Airlines collapsed due to major debt, and by 2016, Mallya was accused of defaulting on loans over ₹9000 crores — around $1.4 billion USD — borrowed from Indian banks. Authorities alleged that he siphoned off funds and committed financial fraud. However, before he could be arrested, he fled India to the UK and has ever since been in a long and ongoing legal battle for extradition. Soooo this media appearance is certainly a surprise to Indians after this mess. And just as expected, the episode gave us a LOT of funny and entertaining moments, as Mallya tried to explain his side of the event for 4 hours — which is just him deflecting questions and trying to convince the host that he is a victim of 'false narratives' and 'misinformation' by the media. My eyes are glued to the screen as Mallya repeatedly says that he is not a 'chor'. This podcast, however, gave us some true gems. If you want to run away from responsibilities and admit your mistakes, here are 10 phrases to use, as said by the man, Vijay Mallya: When your mother unfairly grounds you because you told your younger sibling that you would put makeup on them but instead doodled on their face: Ah, yes, the victim card. If you have ever found yourself surrounded by a narrative that does not suit you, this phrase will save you from owning up to your mistakes. When the aunties start commenting on your weight and looks: When someone reminds you of something that you are but don't want to admit to, what do you do? You put it on perception and confuse the heck out of them with this phrase. Also, rude. When your dad asks you where you 'wasted' your pocket money on: The ideal response to someone pointing to your mistake is to deflect and remind them of all the good you've done. Because, according to Vijay, no matter how many (or serious) mistakes you make, good will always win over evil. When your boss sees you partying on your Insta stories when you were off 'sick' and holds a meeting with you the next day: It's a good phrase for when you're trying to be humble but also want some credit. When your mother asks when you're going to clean your room for the 10th time: The best way to fight your demons is to ignore them. And Vijay Mallya has proved the point—ignorance is bliss. Your room is dirty? Well, it is not true if you don't know about it! When you promise your brother you will pay him back, but he doesn't trust you: You're basically saying, 'Look at me—do I look like someone who'd be this confident and upfront if I were actually guilty?' When someone doesn't trust you, this phrase works like a charm. When your friend says that you owe them money, but that was the drunk you: It was not him borrowing loans; it was his company. So why is he facing all the scrutiny himself? The next time someone is blaming you for not paying them back, channel your inner Mallya and say, "Hey, that was not the real me who borrowed money; it was the drunk me." When you 'borrow' your sister's favorite dress despite her saying no, and end up dropping ketchup on it: Translation: 'Yes, things went south. But I was the good guy. I even asked nicely. If anyone's the villain here, it's not me—it's the court.'This works best when you are getting grilled for a project falling apart. All you have to say is "I tried my best." When you sent your younger brother to buy you chips in the crippling heat and your mum confronts you about it: The perfect trick in the bag to make one doubt themselves is to flip the question their question. Watch them spiral. When your mother is yelling at you for reaching home late, but your Uber took ages to book: It's shouting — 'just give me a break!'It's a perfect excuse when you are heavily cornered and know there is no escape. And so, you turn it around back on them and make them look like the unreasonable person. This was Vijay Mallya's masterclass of excuses to avoid accountability — and it sure was enlightening! The episode was long but very entertaining. His lines are worthy of a good Bollywood script!