The BBC is suffering “the worst crisis I can remember” with the Huw Edwards scandal, a former producer for the broadcaster has told GB News.
Edwards, who fronted much of the BBC’s news coverage and worked with the corporation for 40 years, pleaded guilty in court to making indecent images of children.
Speaking about the scandal on GB News, former BBC producer John Mair said: “I spent 45 years working for, writing about and and broadcasting on the BBC.
“This is actually the worst crisis I can remember because normally the crises are confected by people like you and and the right-wing press. This is a homemade crisis.”
He added: “The BBC has brought this on itself. Where’s Tim Davie getting advice from?
“He’s surrounded by a management consultant, editorial consultants. He doesn’t have a journalist in a senior position.
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“He obviously makes all the decisions himself. I mean, I think today that there are quite a few people should actually be put up against the wall and fired for this.”
The former producer explained: “It was very simple answer. They should have suspended him once they knew about about the charge.
“[They should have] put the money into an escrow account and said ‘if you’re innocent, this is your money, if you’re found guilty it is our money’.
“Instead, an awful lot of licence paying money has gone to Huw Edwards when he was under deep suspicion and the BBC knew about it.
He said that the BBC is suffering a “crisis”
GB News
“What are they playing at? Tim Davie needs to be kicked around the the room by Lisa Nandy [Culture Secretary] today.
“He’s surrounded himself with people who don’t seem to know what they’re doing.”
The veteran BBC newsreader, 62, officially quit the broadcaster in April after 40 years on the job.
The BBC released a statement that read: “The BBC is shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today. There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected.”
It said it had been “made aware in confidence” in November 2023 that Edwards “had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation”.
“At the time, no charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health,” the statement continued.
The corporation noted: “If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him.
“In the end, at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.”
