How BBC presenter Huw Edwards' career began in Wales

Huw Edwards made a Welsh-language documentary about his career, in which he revealed he had suffered bouts of depression over 20 years

Huw Edwards has been an integral part of Welsh media culture for decades.

He was born in Bridgend in 1961 and graduated from Cardiff University before beginning life as a BBC journalist in 1984.

Early roles included parliamentary correspondent for BBC Wales and presenting TV news bulletins.

While best-known for presenting BBC News at 10, he also fronted TV and radio programmes for Welsh audiences.

He shared hosting duties on a Sunday morning discussion programme on BBC Radio Cymru called Bore Sul and co-presented S4C's religious programme, Dechrau Canu, Dechrau Canmol.

• Huw Edwards named as BBC presenter at centre of allegations

• Huw Edwards in hospital as he is named in BBC row

Previously, Edwards fronted the BBC's coverage of elections to the Welsh Senedd.

His output for BBC Wales included The Story of Wales, current affairs series The Wales Report and debate show The Exchange.

Edwards, who joined the BBC in 1984, is one of the UK's most high-profile broadcasters

Edwards travelled to Patagonia for a BBC documentary on the Welsh settlers in South America and spoke to S4C about his struggle with depression in a programme to mark his 60th birthday last year.

Edwards is also ingrained in Welsh cultural life, having been inducted as a member of the Gorsedd of the Bards at the National Eisteddfod in Tregaron in 2022.

He was also the recipient of honorary awards from universities in Bangor, Cardiff, Swansea, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the University of Wales Trinity St David.]

Where is Huw Edwards from?

Edwards was born in Bridgend and moved to Llangennech, near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, with his family when he was a child.

After deciding he wanted to be an academic at around the age of 14, he went on to graduate with a first class honours degree in French from the University of Wales, in Cardiff.

He landed his first job in broadcasting at commercial radio station Swansea Sound, reading the news bulletins in both English and Welsh.

It was here that he saw an advert for the BBC News trainee scheme, which gave him his first step on the BBC ladder in 1984.

He lives in London with his wife and children, but he has championed Welsh life in the capital.

Edwards was president of the London Welsh Centre and wrote a book about London's Welsh chapels.

He also made a programme for S4C on the history of Welsh communities in London.

S4C said: "It is not appropriate for us to make any further comment on this matter at this time."

Social media has been flooded with reactions, with Rhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan tweeting: "Hopefully the trial by media and social media in particular will come to an end.

"I hope Huw Edwards gets the space, privacy, and support that he clearly needs.

"Let's allow the BBC to do their investigation, no more speculation and rumour for the sake of everyone involved."

We have seen him present the News at 10, but in Wales he's involved in so many other layers of Welsh life - as a broadcaster, yes in English, and in Welsh on TV and on radio.

But he's also someone who is a member of the Gorsedd of the Bards, he's a patron of all sorts of organisations, he has honorary degrees and fellowships from most of the universities in Wales - he's well engrained in Welsh life.

The fact that his name has been published will come as a particular surprise and deep shock, I think, to many people who have worked with him in so many different areas.

Arwel Ellis Owen, a former editor of Newyddion S4C and a senior BBC producer, described Edwards as having been "the face of the BBC" and someone who had "sustained us through so many important national events".

Karl Davies, former head of governance and accountability at BBC Wales, said the news was "shocking" and it was "imperative that the BBC continues the process to look into the complaints".

He added it was "deeply concerning" to have been "kept in the dark thus far", and he hopes the "process from now on is overt".

After a distinguished career at the BBC, Edwards' reputation is now severely damaged.

After the Sun published allegations on Friday that an unnamed BBC presenter had paid large sums of money for explicit images of an individual, there were days of speculation about who the presenter might be.

Over the following days, the Sun, and later BBC News, released further allegations, keeping the story in the headlines.

Finally, on Wednesday, his wife Vicky Flind confirmed Edwards' identity on his behalf, saying she was doing so "primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children".