It’s been claimed that the BBC could face a ‘problem’ deleting Huw Edwards footage from historic TV events, after a Doctor Who episode featuring the disgraced newsreader was also removed.
The 62-year-old pleaded guilty in court on Wednesday to making indecent images of children, after he committed three offences between December 2020 and April 2021.
He admitted accessing indecent photographs of children as young as seven after a man he met online sent him hundreds of sexual images on WhatsApp.
The BBC has since released a statement regarding the scandal, but has yet to clarify what will happen to archival footage featuring Edwards, including a cameo in James Bond: Skyfall, and his announcement of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
A BBC spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘As you would expect we are actively considering the availability of our archive.
‘While we don’t routinely delete content from the BBC archive as it is a matter of historical record, we do consider the continued use and re-use of material on a case-by-case basis.’
However, the removal of archival footage could pose a ‘problem’ for the BBC, explained Jean Seaton, the official historian of the broadcaster.
‘Savile’s entertainment shows centred on him – so deleting much of that archive made sense,’ she told the Observer, after the BBC removed programmes featuring Jimmy Savile from its catalogue in 2012.
‘But Edwards’s role was adjacent to coverage with importance much larger than him – news and national events.
‘That he was the familiar face of such important programmes is a problem. But these events are ours. I suspect the BBC can’t or won’t delete the archive – it may make clearly badged alternatives.’
It has also been claimed that an episode of Doctor Who which Edwards appeared in will be edited and redubbed, and it has been taken down from iPlayer.
The disgraced broadcaster’s voice was heard as a news commentator in 2006 episode Fear Her, from the second series.
BBC bosses are now said to be considering replacing Edwards’ voice with a different actor’s.
A source told the Mirror: ‘It’s going to be hard for the BBC to airbrush Huw out of the news events he covered, but the Doctor Who episode should be straightforward.’
The episode, which had David Tennant playing the Tenth Doctor with Billie Piper as his companion, took place on the day of the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony in London, and saw an investigation into a young girl who ‘unwittingly threatens billions of lives’.
It was available to watch on BBC iPlayer earlier today, with Edwards’ voice heard saying: ‘It is remarkable, the queue started a week ago.’
His voice was used to talk about crowds at the Olympics opening ceremony, and could also be heard saying: ‘Over 80,000 spectators and 13,000 athletes… they’re gone. All of the people, it’s a terrible, terrible turn of events.’
It has yet to be confirmed what will be happening to other footage and news coverage Edwards fronted, as well as an appearance on Would I Lie To You and a Christmas duet with Sir Tom Jones in 2013.
One insider told The Times, according to MailOnline: ‘The bulletins will be full of archive footage of him which is obviously awkward.
’There will have to be discussions about the archive but no-one was expecting him to plead guilty today, so that key issue is not one that has been solved yet.’
In a statement, following Edwards pleading guilty, the BBC said: ‘In November 2023, whilst Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC as his employer at the time was made aware in confidence that he had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation.
‘At the time, no charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health.’
The corporation added: ‘The BBC is shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today. There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected.
‘Today we have learnt of the conclusion of the police process in the details as presented to the court.
‘If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end, at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.
‘During this period, in the usual way, the BBC has kept its corporate management of these issues separate from its independent editorial functions.’
Edwards was arrested in November and charged in June. He will appear in court again on September 16.
Edwards was one of the BBC’s most prominent and highest-paid news anchors before he left the corporation in April on medical grounds, after 40 years working at the corporation.
During his career, he fronted BBC’s News At Ten for 20 years and anchored coverage of major national events including announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s death on the BBC and presenting coverage of her funeral, as well as Prince Philip’s funeral, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding.
He was previously the BBC’s highest-paid newsreader, with a pay bracket of £475,000 to £479,999 for the year 2023/24 for 160 presenting days, BBC One news specials, election specials and other television programming, according to the corporation’s latest annual report.
He resigned from the BBC this year following allegations that he paid a young person for sexually explicit pictures, and has remained absent from screens since the story first broke in July 2023 until his exit was confirmed.
Metro.co.uk has approached the BBC for comment.
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Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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