BBC boss Tim Davie has claimed the corporation was “right” to pay Huw Edwards his salary for months despite his arrest.
The director-general has also said the BBC is battling to claw back the £200,000 paid to the shamed newsreader after he remained on full salary until quitting on “medical advice” in April.
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Speaking at the Royal Television Society (RTS) London conference, Davie said Edwards’ crimes were “appalling” and said “there’s no doubt that an affair like this impacts our reputation”.
Presenter Amol Rajan asked Davie why Edwards’ pay continued after the BBC was made aware of charges against him.
He replied that “we decided that pay continues until someone is charged” and added: “I think it was the right decision based on current policy.”
Rajan then asked Davie how the BBC would get back Edwards’ £200,000 salary he was given after they knew he had been arrested over child abuse images.
He replied: “We want the money back and we’ve asked for it back, and we’re waiting to hear back.”
Rajan went on: “Will Huw Edwards work for the BBC again?”
Davie replied: “I cant see that happening again….this man has been convicted of appalling crimes and it’s pretty straightforward and I cant see him working at the BBC again.”
Davie added that victims’ families are the “primary concern” and said that young people who raised concerns over Edwards were “taken seriously” at the time allegations were made.
He said: “We’re just shocked, and there’s a lot of upset because across the BBC, we’ve got great teams, good people and they feel deeply, deeply let down.”
It comes after Edwards, 603, avoided jail yesterday despite admitting he paid a paedophile in the region of £1,500 for child sexual abuse images – seven of which were of the highest category.
Edwards continued to earn his salary for five months after he was arrested on three counts of making indecent images of children.
The Sun previously revealed he was paying a 17-year-old for sexual images, in July 2023, Edwards was suspended on his £480,000 salary.
He was then arrested in November last year for the child images that were a separate incident to what we exposed.
Edwards did not resign from the BBC until April 2024.
At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Edwards was given a six-month suspended sentence for two years.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children after he was sent 41 illegal images by convicted paedophile Alex Williams over WhatsApp.
The disgraced ex-newsreader had faced a maximum 12 months behind bars for the offences but avoided the cells.
Seven of the images fell under Category A – the most serious classification – and two were said to involve a child aged between seven and nine-years-old.