Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has reportedly split from his wife, TV producer Vicky Flind, amid charges of making indecent images of children. The couple, who got engaged in 1993, have not yet divorced but are living apart.
Separation and Charges
Edwards, 62, has moved out of the family home in Dulwich and found a new residence in Wandsworth, south-west London. This new address was revealed on Tuesday afternoon when it appeared on court documents. Edwards has been charged by the Metropolitan Police with making indecent images of children.
Edwards and Flind are thought to have met when he was 30 and working as a BBC correspondent in Westminster. Flind, 60, has worked on shows including ITV’s Peston and BBC One’s This Week.
Career and Legal Trouble
Edwards quit his high-profile job at the BBC in April after 40 years. He now faces three charges over alleged activities between December 2020 and April 2022. The offences are claimed to be linked to images shared on WhatsApp, according to police.
Edwards is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning. According to the charge sheet, Edwards is accused of having six category A images, 12 category B pictures, and 19 category C photographs on WhatsApp. If found guilty, he could receive a maximum penalty of six months in prison and an unlimited fine.
Police Statement
Police said Edwards was arrested on November 8 last year and charged just over a month ago on June 26 following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London, has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children following a Met Police investigation. The offences, which are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022, relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat. Edwards was arrested on November 8, 2023. He was charged on Wednesday, June 26 following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service. He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 31.”
The spokesman added: “Media and the public are strongly reminded that this is an active case. Nothing should be published, including on social media, which could prejudice future court proceedings.”
BBC Pay Rise Controversy
The charges come less than a week after it was revealed that Edwards received a £40,000 pay rise from the BBC in the last year, despite being suspended for most of that time. In the corporation’s annual report, it was revealed that Edwards earned between £475,000-£479,999, up from £435,000-£439,999 in the previous report.
The BBC’s director general Tim Davie defended the pay rise, saying it was due to the BBC trying to act “proportionally”. He said, “I think that’s what we did and it ended up in the conclusion we all know, but I think we wouldn’t have wasted money if we weren’t doing the right thing. In terms of the increase in pay prior to any breaking of the story … You know, people do get, as you’ll have seen, overall, our pay progress is pretty good … But people on the list would be getting pay rises for extended responsibility, and actually, if they’re doing more … So that is fairly normal business, and that’s what would result in the change.”
Career Highlights
During his career, Edwards fronted BBC’s News At Ten for 20 years and anchored coverage of major national events including announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s death on the BBC and presenting coverage of her funeral. He also helmed the BBC’s broadcast of the King’s coronation last year.
