Huw Edwards: Huge pressure to name presenter amid allegations, BBC chair says

The BBC was under "huge pressure" to reveal that Huw Edwards was the presenter facing media allegations last week, its acting chairwoman has said.

A Sun story about an unnamed presenter who had allegedly paid a teenager for explicit photos sparked a media storm.

The BBC board held two emergency meetings in the next two days, acting chair Dame Elan Closs Stephens said.

"We had a duty to act with some calm and rationality in the face of lack of rationality and lack of calm."

The claims began when the Sun newspaper reported that a mother had accused the News at Ten presenter of paying their teenage child tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos, which they said the young person spent on drugs.

"There were an awful lot of questions that could not be answered," Dame Elan told a House of Lords committee on Tuesday.

"There was a huge pressure to disclose the name of somebody to whom we had a duty of care and a duty of privacy, in addition to the family and young [person] that were concerned in this maelstrom.

"So I was, on the one hand, seeking to establish the right of the board to oversee what was happening. But at the same time, I was trying my best to make for a calm and rational discussion of the issue before we all got carried away in what could have been very wrong directions."

Director general Tim Davie said the the BBC was carrying out a "fact-finding investigation"

After five days, Edwards' wife Vicky Flind disclosed on Wednesday that he was the presenter at the centre of the allegations.

She also revealed he was in hospital after the situation had brought on a "serious" mental health episode, and said he would address the allegations when he is well enough to do so.

Following the Sun's original reports, the young person later denied the claims through their lawyer, and police said they found no evidence of criminal activity.

Meanwhile, other people came forward with claims of inappropriate behaviour.

The BBC has now resumed its own internal investigation.

Appeal for information

Director general Tim Davie told the House of Lords communications and digital committee: "We're in the process of looking at those facts, and we're keen to receive any information, because we just want to understand anything that's out there."

The BBC had tried to balance "difficult concerns around the allegations themselves, duty of care, privacy, and legitimate public interest", he said, adding that it has been "a difficult affair."

Mr Davie also said BBC executives had been in touch with the complainant since the allegations were first reported.

"Obviously we want to be engaged, and appropriately listening, and understanding [their] concerns," he said.

The family originally contacted the organisation in May, and the BBC has been criticised for the speed of its response to their complaint.

Both Mr Davie and Dame Elan became aware of the allegations seven weeks later, the day before the Sun published its first story.

The director general said the BBC's "protocols and procedures" were now being reviewed, and that he had "immediately" asked for a "quick look" at how "red flags" are raised when allegations are made.

Beyond the Edwards situation, the director general was asked whether all high-profile and highly-paid presenters had a responsibility to uphold the BBC's reputation.

"Of course," he replied. "The history of this industry is such that we should all be concerned and appropriately diligent around the abusive people in powerful positions.

"Certainly you have a dynamic when you've got presenters or people in power... you need to ensure that you're very, very clear about what your expectations are culturally as well as the policy."

The BBC had done "really good work" in having a "really clear code of conduct" and reminding staff of the organisation's values, he added.