The BBC has responded to complaints over its coverage of Huw Edwards, who earlier this month was named as the presenter at the centre of allegations over sexually explicit photos.
The Sun first reported that an undisclosed member of the BBC’s on-air presenting team had been accused of paying a teenager to pose for pictures on Friday 7 July. The police later confirmed they’d found no evidence that a criminal offence had been committed.
The paper claimed the teenager’s family had complained to the BBC, who quietly removed the presenter from their on-screen roles.
In the days that followed, the story was front page news and led BBC Radio and TV news bulletins as pressure grew for the presenter’s identity to be revealed.
A week after the initial report, Huw’s wife Vicky Flind released a statement on his behalf which confirmed he was the star at the centre of the allegations.
She also said he was “suffering from serious mental health issues” and is now “receiving in-patient hospital care where he will stay for the foreseeable future” as she asked for privacy for her family.
The BBC faced criticism for its extensive coverage of the story – with ex-Newsnight host Emily Maitlis also labelling the reporting “distasteful”.
A fresh statement has now been issued in response to the complaints, which says: “BBC News reports on the BBC independently and impartially in the same way as we would with any other organisation.”
It continues: “We scrutinised and investigated all aspects of the story, including other allegations against the presenter, the journalistic merit of the Sun’s decision to publish, privacy law in the social media age and the reputational implications for the BBC.”
Addressing the fact Huw remained unnamed in their reports – despite the fact individuals at the BBC knew who the accusations were about – they added: “Legal and privacy considerations, which we explained in detail throughout our coverage, meant we couldn’t name Huw Edwards; it was only following the statement issued by his family that we were in a position to do so.
“We transparently explained the reasons why this was the case and that this was a complex story with many of the facts unknown.
“We were careful to report with sensitivity, mindful of the public interest as well as the privacy and welfare of all those affected.”
The BBC also said “it was important for us to keep our audience updated with developments [including] statements from the Metropolitan and South Wales police saying they had found no evidence that a criminal offence had been committed”.
They concluded: “We believe our coverage of this story was proportionate, reflecting the significance of the issues raised. However, we realise not everyone will agree with the stories we cover and the prominence we give them.”
Huw’s BBC career began in 1984, when he joined as a trainee. In the decades that followed, he rose through the ranks to become one of the best-known news presenters in the UK.
In September last year, he announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II to the nation and traditionally led coverage of history-making events such as elections, royal weddings and the 2012 Olympics.