The BBC reported on Huw Edwards' guilty plea from his old seat last night, as they told viewers 'the man who read the news headlines is now in them'.
Journalists from the broadcaster were left to address awkward questions over their most trusted face, as the company admitted it knew the former star had been arrested on 'suspicion of serious offences' last November, but kept paying his £479,000-a-year salary until he resigned in April.
Disgraced Edwards, 62, yesterday pleaded guilty to making 41 indecent images of children, which included two sexual videos of a boy under nine.
Alongside clips on him reporting for the BBC, special correspondent Lucy Manning said: 'The man who read the news headlines is now in them. In the middle of the jostling cameras and reporters who he would have normally worked alongside.'
Speaking in front of her former colleague as he entered a car outside court, she continued: 'In the last year, Huw Edwards has gone from the top of the BBC to suspension to resignation, and now pleading guilty to these serious offences.
Disgraced Edwards, 62, yesterday pleaded guilty to making 41 indecent images of children, which included two sexual videos of a boy under nine. Pictured: Edwards leaves court
Special correspondent Lucy Manning reported from outside Westminster Magistrates' Court as Edwards got into his car behind her (pictured)
Sitting in Edwards' old seat, Clive Myrie (pictured) started reporting on the BBC's knowledge of the ex-journalist's arrest by asserting the news outlet's editorial independance
Culture and Media Editor Katie Razzall (pictured) added that the BBC faces 'huge questions' over the handling of Edwards
The BBC interrupted coverage of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' statement in the House of Commons on Monday to report on how Edwards had been charged with the possession of indecent images of children (pictured)
'A downfall for a man who was at the pinnacle of his career.'
The News at Ten reader, whose glittering four-decade career is now in tatters, is said to have kept his arrest 'secret' from his friends, a former colleague told the Mail.
Edwards received seven category 'A' images of the very worst kind on his phone after being sent them on WhatsApp by paedophile Alex Williams, it has emerged.
He had a total of 41 foul images, showing youngsters between the age of seven and 14, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.
Sitting in Edwards' old seat, Clive Myrie started reporting on the BBC's knowledge of the ex-journalist's arrest by asserting the news outlet's editorial independance.
The 59-year-old, reportedly known as 'Saint Clive' in the newsroom due to his squeaky-clean reputation, wore a grim face as he discussed his former colleague.
He has previously described reporting on his former colleague as 'weird' - telling Radio Times 'you're not usually there to be talking about the staff in your newsroom'.
In June, before Edwards' arrest came to light, he added to The Express: 'It's very sad what happened and I hope he is doing okay.'
Manning described Edward's guilty plea as 'a downfall for a man who was at the pinnacle of his career'
Myrie, reportedly known as 'Saint Clive' in the newsroom due to his squeaky-clean reputation, wore a grim face as he discussed his former colleague
The News at Ten reader, whose glittering four-decade career is now in tatters, is said to have kept his arrest 'secret' from his friends, a former colleague told the Mail
Speaking on News at Ten, the veteran journalist said: 'To be clear, we here at BBC News are editorially independent when reporting on the corporation, and the news division only learnt of his arrest and the charges along with the rest of the media on Monday.'
The national broadcaster must treat reporting on itself as if they are working on any other story, contacting the BBC Press Office for official statements and even doorstepping senior managers - as per their Editorial Guidelines on impartiality.
The broadcaster's news website ran the story with the headline 'The BBC faces questions over why it did not sack Edwards', placing it third on the news page behind reporting on the Southport knife attacks.
Culture and Media Editor Katie Razzall added that the BBC faces 'huge questions' over the handling of Edwards.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is understood to have summoned Director General Tim Davie amidst concerns the Corporation continued to pay the presenter's £470,000-a-year salary after becoming aware of his arrest last November.
The broadcaster said it continued employing the disgraced presenter until he quit in April, meaning he was paid around £200,000 whilst under arrest on 'suspicion of serious offences'.
Only Match of the Day host Gary Lineker and Radio 2 breakfast presenter Zoe Ball earned more than him, taking home £1.35 million and £954,999 respectively.
Razzall said: 'Serious questions for the BBC and the Director General, not least why the BBC paid Huw Edwards for five months after it knew he had been arrested.
'Because he was so well remunerated - the third highest paid BBC presenter - that would have meant a total of more than £200,000 of public money from the license fee going to him after the arrest.
'On the face of it, that looks very hard to justify in hindsight.
The broadcaster's news website ran the story with the headline 'The BBC faces questions over why it did not sack Edwards'
The story was placed third on the news page behind reporting on the Southport knife attacks
Razzall said the BBC has 'serious questions' to answer over its handling of Edwards
Edwards received seven category 'A' images of the very worst kind on his phone after being sent them on WhatsApp by paedophile Alex Williams, it has emerged
'The BBC says it was told in confidence about the arrest and decided it would act if he was charged and in the end he left before that could happen, but there are also questions about why Huw Edwards wasn't sacked in November after the arrest but instead was given the space to resign, albeit without a payout.
'In mitigation the BBC have a duty of care towards him as an employee, was likely getting legal and HR advice that it needed to continue with that contract in this way, that he had serious health issues.
'But the optics are reputationally difficult and there are also questions about who in the BBC knew what when.
'In the end it comes down to difficult decisions that were made with a lot of competing advice by the most senior people in the BBC - but with facts as we now have them, did they make the wrong judgement call?'
Speaking on BBC podcast Newsast, Razall further discussed the reporting of Edwards' case from within the BBC as she said she is working 'like any other journalist' outside the corporation.
Talking with her, presenter Adam Fleming said: 'We as BBC employees don't have special access to any of this stuff. We are as much in the dark as people watching the news and listening to this are.
'Even if you want to get answers from BBC management you have to go through the formal process of getting a comment via the press office. It's not like because we're the BBC we get special stuff.'
She responded: 'No exactly, I'm like any other journalist covering this story, I'm calling the BBC the corporate press office and asking them a series of questions which so far they haven't answered, but it's early. We probably expect a statement from the DG later today.'
The BBC interrupted coverage of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' statement in the House of Commons on Monday to report on how Edwards had been charged with the possession of indecent images of children.
Entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba said: 'The former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been charged with three offences of making indecent images of children.
'That's according to statements from the Metropolitan Police and from the Crown Prosecution Service.
'The Metropolitan Police said that the CPS authorised the charges after a Metropolitan Police investigation.
Entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba broke the news of Edwards being charged earlier this week
'They said Mr Edwards will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court this Wednesdays, July 31, 2024.
'A little more detail from the Crown Prosecution Service: they say the offences are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022 and relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat.
'They say Huw Edwards was arrested on November 8, 2023, he was charged on Wednesday, June 26 following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service.
'Huw Edwards, the former BBC presenter, of course for a long time one of the most prominent faces on the BBC, presenting generally election coverage, big royal occasions, big state occasions, for many people one of the best known and most important faces of the cooperation and also one of its highest paid names.'
It comes as BBC insider claimed that bosses at the corporation may have 'turned a blind eye' to the star's behaviour within the newsroom in order to 'protect' him.
They said last night: '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.'
Meanwhile, both the Crown Prosecution Service and Scotland Yard faced secrecy allegations over the handling of Edwards's arrest and charge.
The CPS denied it had purposefully suppressed details of the charge or given Edwards preferential treatment.
Edwards had a total of 41 foul images, showing youngsters between the age of seven and 14, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard yesterday
'Our handling of this case followed our normal procedures working in partnership with police colleagues,' a spokesman said.
In April, the Mail received information that Edwards had been arrested and asked the Metropolitan Police whether there had been an update in any investigation, but was told there had been 'no updates in relation to this matter'. Edwards had in fact been arrested last November.
Scotland Yard said it was not able to respond to enquiries in relation to a named person before charge.
The BBC have been contacted for comment.
