Huw Edwards is in hospital. That shocking news, in a statement from his wife, Vicky Flind, delivered an icy blast of reality to a news story that had bubbled out of control for six days, dangerously so for the BBC.
Although reporters in its News division, where I worked for 31 years, had covered the events rigorously and sensitively, breaking new lines and analysing developments with care, the same surefootedness cannot be said for the BBC’s corporate arm. Their handling of the affair raises serious questions about complaints procedures, staff welfare and privacy.
The BBC’s rationale for not naming Edwards (until his wife did so) remains unclear
When the initial complaint about the News at Ten presenter was received on May 19, alarm bells should have sounded. Tim Davie, the BBC’s director-general, has said the allegations, in a 29-minute phone call to a member of the audience services team, did not at that stage cross the criminal threshold but were ‘very serious’.
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