Moment BBC news reader Sophie Raworth reveals colleague Huw Edwards is the man at the centre of ‘£35,000 sex pics scandal’ engulfing the corporation – before media editor Katie Razzall froths ‘This is a man who embodied our values’
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This is the moment veteran BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth revealed Huw Edwards is the star at the centre of the ‘£35,000 sex pics scandal’.
The surreal moment saw Raworth open BBC One’s six o’clock news show by naming her colleague.
She revealed Vicky Flind – Huw’s wife – had identified her husband in a breathless announcement to the nation on live TV.
Raworth said: ‘In the last few minutes the BBC presenter has been named as Huw Edwards, the man who has been accused of paying a teenager for explicit photos.’
Sitting on the news show’s panel, the BBC’s culture editor Katie Razzall then said: ‘This will come as a huge shock to viewers’.
Huw Edwards’ (pictured) wife sent a statement to the BBC naming the newsreader as the star at the centre of the ‘£35,000 sex pics scandal’
BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth (pictured) today revealed Huw Edwards is the unnamed star at the heart of the row that has engulfed the BBC
‘This is such dramatic news,’ Razzall said, as she described her colleague as ‘a man who has embodied BBC values’
READ MORE: Huw Edwards’ wife Vicky Flind names him as BBC star at centre of ‘£35k sex pics scandal’
Explaining the story, she added: ‘We’ve had a statement in the last few minutes from Vicky Flind, who is the wife of Huw Edwards, who named him as the BBC presenter facing allegations.’
‘This is a man who has embodied BBC values, has been the face of the BBC, has held viewers hands through so many of the momentous, significant parts of our nation’s history, whether that’s general elections, royal events, the Queen’s death.’
She noted the statement from Huw Edwards’ wife says he ‘was suffering from serious mental health issues and is now receiving inpatient hospital care where he will stay for the foreseeable future.’
In a Tweet, Razzall later said: ‘BBC Presenter named. Huw Edwards, according to his wife Vicky Flind, is ‘suffering from serious mental health issues’ and is now ‘receiving in-patient hospital care where he will stay for the foreseeable future’ and she asked for privacy for her family.’
He is accused of sending cash to a teenager in return for sexual photographs over three years. The teen is alleged to have use it to fund a crack cocaine habit. Three more young people have since made allegations against the broadcaster.
The BBC’s culture editor Katie Razzall then said: ‘This will come as a huge shock to viewers’
And tonight, after he was named, a current BBC employee said that earlier this year they had received suggestive messages on social media from the presenter. Newsnight also claims another BBC worker and a former one have also told them they received what they perceived to be more inappropriate social media messages that made them feel uncomfortable.
The Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police both said this evening that no criminal offence had been committed by the presenter. The BBC had paused its internal probe into the claims Mr Edwards paid the teenager for explicit pictures – and that investigation will now continue.
Edwards was named after a number of BBC stars including Gary Lineker, Rylan, Nicky Campbell and Jeremy Vine were forced to publicly deny they were the household name at the centre of the scandal. Mr Vine had urged his colleague to name themselves to protect colleagues, and the BBC. Mr Campbell went to the police to report people who named him online and threatened to sue them.
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