Huw Edwards-Featuring Episodes of ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Great British Menu’ Pulled by BBC, Mural in Hometown Painted Over as Fallout Continues

As a seasoned movie critic with decades of experience under my belt, I find myself constantly amazed at the twists and turns that the world of entertainment can take. The latest scandal involving former newsreader Huw Edwards is no exception. It’s not every day that we see such a public figure fall from grace in such a spectacular fashion.


As a devoted Doctor Who fan, I’ve noticed that an episode featuring the esteemed broadcaster Huw Edwards has vanished from BBC’s iPlayer service. Furthermore, a mural honoring him in his hometown has been covered up, according to recent BBC News reports.

As an enthusiastic fan, I recently found myself delving into iPlayer to catch up on episodes of “The Great British Menu.” To my surprise and disappointment, upon exploring the content, I noticed that both the 2022 and 2023 dessert finals, where the esteemed judge Edwards was present, have mysteriously vanished from the platform.

These actions come in the wake of Edwards admitting to possessing indecent images of children.

In the year 2006, the “Doctor Who” episode titled “Fear Her” marked David Tennant’s first season as the Doctor. Throughout this episode, you’ll hear Edwards’ voice, portraying himself, during a news segment.

As a movie aficionado, I’ve reached out to the BBC regarding the disappearance of certain episodes and am yet to receive a response before deadline. I’ve also inquired about the potential removal of other shows involving Edwards.

As a dedicated fan and connoisseur of both “Doctor Who” and “The Great British Menu”, I’m thrilled to share that you can still catch all their captivating episodes on iPlayer!

Simultaneously in Llangennech, Carmarthenshire – the town where Edwards spent his childhood years – artist Steve Jenkins covered up a depiction of Edwards that was included in a larger mural located in an underpass. This action took place on Tuesday, following Edwards’ charges for three counts related to creating indecent child images.

Jenkins, who once took pride in the mural, now showed disappointment upon learning he needed to take it down. “When it was initially created,” he shared with BBC News, “the entire village adored it.”

The Cardiff council has made further steps, taking down a commemorative plaque for Edwards at Cardiff Castle and ceasing an audio tour led by the ex-host. In addition, as Llanelli councillor Gary Jones mentioned, a picture of Edwards was taken off the walls of the community center.

Edwards confessed to having 41 inappropriate pictures of children, which he received through WhatsApp from a known pedophile who had previously been convicted. He admitted his guilt at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

The BBC remains under review regarding their management of the Edwards case. Last Thursday, BBC Director General Tim Davie defended their actions, stating they were justified when they decided against dismissing Edwards following his arrest in November 2023.

Dave disclosed that the BBC had been notified about the link between the arrest and explicit child content, but they only knew about the general categories of possible crimes, without specific details such as the ages of the children depicted. The executive clarified that the top management at the BBC was oblivious to the ages of the kids featured in the images.

The Director General emphasized that the BBC chose not to disclose information regarding possible legal proceedings, as it was instructed by law enforcement agencies. He explained this action was taken to strike a balance between assisting the police and fulfilling the organization’s responsibility towards its staff and audience.

In Davie’s understanding, the BBC doesn’t have any extra information about this matter that they haven’t already handed over to the authorities.

For five months following his arrest, Huw Edwards continued working for the corporation and received a total of £200,000 ($256,420). On Friday, U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy urged Huw Edwards to give back the salary he had earned from the BBC.

“Nandy stated to Sky News that it seems appropriate for him to give back his salary. He believes that, given the serious accusations against him which date back to November, it’s inappropriate for him to keep receiving that salary until his resignation. This action doesn’t seem like a wise use of taxpayer funds.”

When asked about Edwards’ pension, Davie mentioned the complexities involved in recovering such funds, referring to it as “extremely hard to retrieve, practically impossible.” He also stated that the BBC would consider various solutions concerning payment, although they might encounter legal obstacles.

In my recent conversation with Davie, as reported by BBC News, we delved deeply into the intricacies surrounding this captivating case, exchanging our thoughts candidly and thoroughly.

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2024-08-02 17:18