THE BBC HAS said that it would be requesting former news broadcaster Huw Edwards to return the salary he had been receiving since his arrest last November.

In a statement, the BBC said that, “Mr Edwards pleaded guilty to an appalling crime. Had he been up front when asked by the BBC about his arrest, we would never have continued to pay him public money. He has clearly undermined trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute.”

Edwards was arrested last year after admitting to making “indecent images of children”. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Wednesday

Edwards was suspended from his role at the BBC in July 2023 over allegations in The Sun newspaper of paying a young person for sexally explicit photos. 

He received between £435,000 and £439,999 in the year 2022/2023, which rose to £475,000 – £479,999 between April 2023 and April 2024, the BBC’s latest annual report shows.

Since his arrest in November, he received almost £200,000 from the broadcaster. Calls for this sum to be returned have come from a number of corners, including from Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who urged the BBC last week to look into recouping the money.

She said today that she welcomes the move by the BBC.

“BBC staff must be able to feel safe in the workplace and be confident that if non-editorial complaints are raised they will be acted upon and dealt with fairly and decisively.”

The broadcaster has also said that they will be setting up an independent review to “make recommendations on practical steps that could strengthen a workplace culture in line with BBC Values”.

With reporting by the Press Association.