Huw Edwards accused of sending ‘flirtatious’ and ‘inappropriate’ messages to BBC employees
Huw Edwards has been accused of sending inappropriate messages to several BBC employees.
The long-standing news presenter has been in the midst of a media whirlwind over the past week, with allegations made that he had paid a teenager thousands of pounds for explicit images.
The parents of the young person involved, believed now to be in their twenties, told The Sun that Edwards’ money had fed their child’s crack cocaine habit.
However, following an investigation by two police forces, it was found that no crime had taken place.
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And now, fresh allegations have been made by three BBC employees, who claim the 61-year-old had sent them messages that made them feel uncomfortable.
According to Newsnight, the messages were said to be suggestive and flirtatious, with Edwards allegedly making reference to their appearance.
One of the staff members said: "There is a power dynamic that makes this inappropriate.”
Another worker told the programme that the father-of-five had sent them messages on social media before giving them the ‘cold shoulder’.
And a third person, who never actually met Edwards, claimed they would receive late night messages from him, which were signed off with kisses.
They claimed that they felt it was an abuse of power.
Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for the BBC said: "We are communicating with staff and will continue to do so. We always treat the concerns of staff with care, and would always urge any staff members to speak to us if they have any concerns.
"We have clear processes for making complaints within the organisation, including whistleblowing procedures should someone wish to do so anonymously."
The allegations come after Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, released a statement in which she revealed that he was receiving ‘in-patient hospital treatment’ and will remain there for the ‘foreseeable future’.
The veteran BBC journalist has been open in the past about his battle with depression.
"In light of the recent reporting regarding the 'BBC Presenter' I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family,” the statement read.
"I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.
"Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.
"The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he'll stay for the foreseeable future.
"Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published. To be clear, Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday.
"In the circumstances and given Huw's condition I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected.
"I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation. We hope this statement will bring that to an end.
Dominic Smithers