TV Licensing: Huw Edwards: More Damning Allegations Against the BBC

After decades of selective deafness and blindness towards the crimes of Jimmy Savile, Stuart Hall and Rolf Harris, fresh allegations today that the BBC has done exactly the same in relation to its latest resident nonce, Huw Edwards.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, a BBC insider has said that Huw Edwards' interest in young boys was well known in the newsroom.

The insider said: "It was known for a few years he was messaging an assortment of lads in the newsroom for drinks etc, yet the feeling is senior editors might have turned a blind eye. If this was the case, it points to the usual 'protect the star' stuff."

It's a familiar story from the BBC, which vowed to learn lessons from the Savile, Hall and Harris sex scandals of the last decade.

An independent review by retired High Court Judge Dame Janet Smith DBE concluded that Savile sexually abused 23 victims on BBC premises, some of those crimes taking place right under the nose of bosses. His very first crime, the rape of a 13 year old girl, took place at the BBC's Lime Grove Studios.

Dame Janet fell short of saying BBC management definitely knew about Savile's crimes, despite several inside sources telling the media otherwise. She did acknowledge that some studio floor staff did know about Savile's antics.

The independent review was extended to cover the conduct of former BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Stuart Hall, who was convicted of 14 offences of indecent assault in 2013. He was convicted of a further two offences of indecent assault in 2014.

Dame Linda Dobbs DBE, another former High Court Judge, was tasked with reviewing Hall's crimes. She concluded that between 1967 and 1991 he sexually assaulted 21 girls, the youngest of whom was only 10 years old. Many of those crimes took place at BBC Manchester, where it was a running joke among coworkers that Hall would often invite "nieces" or young girls undertaking "elocution lessons" to his dressing room, which was equipped with a bed.

Dame Linda concluded that senior BBC managers did know about Hall's dressing room antics, not least because he was hauled over the coals by the BBC North West TV manager at the time, Ray Colley. However, she said there was no evidence to suggest that managers knew the girls were underage, despite gossip in the newsroom.

Turning back to Huw Edwards, who was paid £475,000 of TV licence payer's cash by the BBC last year despite being banished from the airwaves in July 2023.

The BBC has confirmed that it was aware of Edwards' arrest in connection with the allegations on 8th November 2023. The BBC didn't take any action at the time, seemingly on the basis that Edwards wasn't charged at the time and there was a significant risk to his health.

Instead he was kept on the BBC payroll, receiving a £40,000 pay hike, until he eventually resigned from the Corporation in April 2024.

The BBC does say that it would have dismissed Edwards if he had been charged prior to his resignation.

Not that anyone can believe a lot of what the BBC says, mind you.

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