BBC insiders have claimed there is “no way back” for presenter Huw Edwards, 62, who was reportedly shown the results of the company’s internal fact-finding investigation. The investigation was launched in July following allegations that Edwards paid a 17-year-old boy for sexually explicit images.
The teenager’s mother claimed the money Edwards paid was used to fund his crack cocaine habit. However, the teenager involved later disputed this, calling it “trash”.
More allegations were later made about Edwards’ behavior. He allegedly sent “inappropriate” messages to three staff, one of whom said the messages made them feel “uncomfortable”. Edwards also broke lockdown rules to visit someone he met on a dating site.
The final findings of the investigation have not yet been made public. The question is how serious these are and whether Edwards can find a way back to public life.
Edwards was the BBC’s highest-paid journalist, with an annual salary of £435,000, and had become the respected face of the company. Queen Elizabeth II She announced Elizabeth’s death and guided viewers through her funeral. He was expected to participate in next year’s general elections, but this now looks impossible.
So what path might Edwards take next?
The most important consideration is the host’s mental health, says public relations and crisis consultant Mark Borkowski. “When you talk about possible career paths, first and foremost it’s about how he can get back to a place where he can move forward in his own mind. “I think if the report is not in his favor, this will drag him back into a dark place.”
Borkowski also suggests Edwards will look for “foul weather friends” to back him up when he loses the support of the BBC. “When you are fed by the company, when you work in various departments, when you are the harbinger of the biggest events of the last five years, especially the death of the late Queen, and when you have that power and attention, suddenly there is a shock. be in this position.
Borkowski praises Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, who “filled the news void created by the anonymous accusations and took control of the story.” It was Flind who named Edwards as the BBC’s accused figure and also told the world that he was receiving inpatient treatment for serious mental health problems.
Borkowski notes that this helped Edwards “get renewed attention in terms of his image.” The act of disappearing later also helped. “It’s a good move to not have a single photo that will keep their name in the conversation, like sad photos of the person sitting with friends at coffee bars or leaving rehab. Whoever’s looking after her, I think it’s Andy Coulson [the former News of the World editor, who is advising the Edwards family]He’s doing the right job.
“Since then we’ve seen other people like Russell Brand distorted. He calmed the anger of Huw Edwards, just as Huw cooled the anger of Phillip Schofield.”
But according to Borkowski, Edwards will soon have to decide whether he wants to disappear from the public eye forever or take his career in a new direction. For the former to work, it will need to be candid with the public.
“He still hasn’t talked about his personal demons. The story is clear. But if he gives the first interview, which will be in high demand, and talks about his mental health issues, it would start his journey back. So, if it conveys it in the right way: if it is real and authentic, the public will be very forgiving.”
In fact, Borkowski thinks Edwards could be a valuable advocate speaking out on an important issue. “He has a lot to offer and a lot of guidance to give about what it’s like to be in a place where he can’t be who he really is because of the pressures of a public role. He could talk honestly about a relatable situation; Many people are imprisoned by their own demons. But for two weeks he scrutinized the entire nation; “This is a unique situation.”
Of course, this will only work if Edwards is in a healthy enough place to withstand increased scrutiny by speaking publicly about the most difficult period of his life and a crisis in his career.
The book could be a safer option if Edwards strikes a favorable deal with a publisher (and would certainly be a major advance in the bid to tell her full frank story). But even then, Edwards would need to be prepared for tough questioning on the road to promotion.
One thing is certain: “Returning as a mainstream broadcaster is not an option for him,” Borkowski said. It’s also unlikely that the company will come to his aid. “The BBC is a slow-moving organization with its own demons. “He will protect his own reputation and unfortunately tend to throw people under the bus.”
But Borkowski continues, “There are countless channels it can go to, like streamers. Now you have more ability to create your own content or choose a new medium that works for you, like a podcast.”
Edwards could potentially branch out from news to one of his passion areas, such as Welsh culture or history, or something related to the Christian faith. He has previously presented the documentary Bread of Heaven, about religion in Wales, and the historical series The Story of Wales.
Edwards is also an amateur organist, sometimes playing at the Jewin Welsh Presbyterian Chapel in north London, and has numerous connections with musical organisations: he was honorary president of the Gwalia Boys’ Choir from 2005 to 2016 and was awarded a Royal Welsh scholarship. He joined the College of Music & Drama in 2019 and became vice president of the Bach Choir in 2022. In 2022 he narrated the BBC Four documentary Organ Stops.
This is certainly a less controversial area for his return to broadcasting, should he want to return. For example, he could interview great musicians in a podcast or support Welsh arts organizations in a series for Netflix or Apple TV+. If Wrexham AFC can develop international stars anything is possible.
However, this may depend on the public’s reaction to the investigation’s findings and whether arts organizations and/or streaming services will be happy to partner with it.
We probably won’t see Edwards in I’m a Celebrity after the likes of Matt Hancock and Nigel Farage. His most important asset is his dignity, which cannot bear to eat the kangaroo’s anus in the jungle.
But it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that she could win the public’s heart by performing a genial waltz on Strictly Come Dancing or taking part in a lower-profile reality show, such as the Stand Up To Cancer version of Bake Off.
Or could Edwards find a new audience among millennials or Gen Zers if she gets outspoken about mental health and the pressures of fame? This sounds closer to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle territory.
Borkowski is skeptical. “These generations already have their own heroes,” he notes. “There are actually a lot of people who are a little bit older and don’t have the same ability to express themselves for whatever reason. “The person he can probably represent is more than that.”
If he plays his cards right, Edwards’ parting ways with the BBC could even be a career opportunity. Borkowski draws comparisons with sports pundits Andy Gray and Richard Keys, who left Sky Sports after being criticized for sexist behavior but now work for Al Jazeera Qatar’s beIN Sports and “probably have a bigger audience than they did on Sky” .
Likewise, Borkowski predicts Edwards can use this to his advantage. “He still has tremendous talent and a wonderful presence as a communicator.” This could be the beginning of a completely new chapter.