Huw Edwards was among the most familiar faces in news broadcasting, having anchored coverage of significant royal occasions.

The decline of the Welsh broadcaster began after a national newspaper reported that a senior BBC personality had compensated a minor for explicit photographs.

Several days afterwards, Edwards’ spouse identified him as the presenter in question, and he subsequently stepped down from the BBC and faced charges in June 2024 after a Metropolitan Police inquiry.

A Channel 5 drama titled Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards, featuring Martin Clunes, is set to explore how a vulnerable teenager portrayed by Osian Morgan interacted with a major television personality.

What did Huw Edwards do?

Huw Edwards established himself as a prominent news presenter, serving as the lead anchor for BBC News at Ten from 2003 until 2023.

Throughout his tenure at the corporation, he presented programming across BBC News at Six, BBC News at One, BBC Weekend News, Daily Politics, and the international service BBC World News.

Edwards provided coverage of the 2019 General Election alongside significant royal occasions, including the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla the following year.

The Welsh broadcaster ranked among the corporation’s highest-earning presenters.

In 2023, allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against Edwards, with reports indicating he had paid a teenager for explicit images.

The BBC suspended him pending investigation, and both South Wales Police and the Metropolitan Police concluded there was insufficient evidence of criminal behaviour.

Edwards was admitted to hospital for depression shortly afterward and departed from his position in April 2024.

In June 2024, Edwards faced three counts of creating indecent images of children.

He admitted guilt in July to three counts of making indecent images of children by receiving them through online conversations, and in September received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, alongside placement on the sex offenders’ register.

The new Channel 5 programme is a two-part drama that will examine the newsreader’s concealed existence as it unravelled, culminating in his departure from public life following his conviction for creating indecent images of children.

Martin Clunes portrays Edwards in the production, which draws from firsthand accounts with individuals closely involved in the events, alongside numerous text exchanges between Edwards and the young man.

Where is Huw Edwards now?

Accounts indicate Edwards resides in seclusion in South Wales, staying at his mother’s bungalow since his conviction.

Edwards and his spouse, Vicky Flind, previously occupied a property in Dulwich, London, which was listed for sale after the controversy emerged.

In July 2024, reports surfaced that Edwards and Flind had separated some time prior and that Edwards had been residing elsewhere.

Flind reportedly initiated divorce proceedings following Edwards’ sentencing, with the property being marketed as part of the legal separation.

Edwards will continue on the sex offenders’ register for an additional five years, which operates as a monitoring system rather than a publicly accessible record.

He maintains freedom to travel internationally but must notify authorities in advance.

Edwards broke his silence regarding the forthcoming Channel 5 drama this week, releasing a critical statement asserting that the producers made no effort to verify the accuracy of any aspect of their narrative prior to proceeding with production.

He stated they approached him for a response only after the drama had been completed, while retaining the ability to modify any such response.

They also declined to reveal whether any individuals making allegations had received compensation for their participation.

Edwards described Channel 5’s factual drama as unlikely to reflect what actually occurred.

He went on to state that his profound regret and remorse for the crimes he committed were articulated during legal proceedings.

By pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity, he accepted complete accountability for his deplorable conduct.

He is endeavouring to prepare his own account of these distressing events.

This process is progressing slowly due to his fragile state of health.

He acknowledged publicly that he has struggled with enduring mental illness across 25 years.

Less widely recognised is the seriousness of that condition, which had been effectively managed until the deterioration that resulted in a shocking outcome.

A Channel 5 representative responded that Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards draws from extensive interviews with the victim, his relatives, the journalists who broke the story, message exchanges between the victim and Edwards, and court documentation.

The programme was created in line with Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code.

All allegations featured in the film were presented to Huw Edwards through his legal representatives six weeks prior to broadcast.

Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards screens on Channel 5 on Tuesday, March 24 at 9pm.