Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards was allegedly warned about his online conduct two years before allegations were made about inappropriate behaviour led to him being taken off air.

The 62-year-old former News at Ten anchor resigned from the BBC last week on medical grounds after it was claimed that he had paid a young person £35,000 for explicit images, nine months ago. It has now been reported that the corporation had received a complaint about his interactions online, some two years before the scandal broke.

The Sunday Times claims that the BBC was contacted by a woman in her forties in 2021 after she had exchanged messages with Huw on social media and then on email. She had contacted Huw with a direct message on Instagram but allegedly asked the BBC to intervene to ensure that contact ceased.

Huw Edwards resigned from the BBC on medical grounds

Huw Edwards was reportedly investigated by the BBC about other allegations ( 

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PA Wire/PA Images)

The subsequent investigation, which The Sunday Times claims has been kept secret until now, was completed just days before Huw resigned. The complaint was retracted after the presenter contacted her, with the newsreader being told of the accusations “within hours” of them being received by BBC management.

Huw was spoken to about “his social media use”, according to The Sunday Times, with the presenter’s lawyers saying they were “unsubstantiated” allegations. It is believed that messages between Huw and the woman began again soon afterwards. A second complaint was allegedly made by the woman in January 2022 but this was said to have been withdrawn after she was contacted by Huw.

Huw met with a senior BBC manager in February 2022 with the review reportedly stating: “A senior member of News leadership advised that further concerns had been raised and that contact with you should now cease.” Despite this, Huw and the woman began exchanging emails shortly afterwards.

In a statement from the BBC to The Sunday Times, the corporation stated: “More generally, when dealing with non-editorial complaints we have longstanding and robust processes in place. We will always seek to handle any such issues with care, fairness and sensitivity to everyone concerned, but, as we have set out, there will always be a limit to what can be said or shared about such processes.”

Huw was the highest paid newsreader at the BBC with a salary of more than £435,000. An internal review into the handling of the woman’s complaint about Huw was launched after she contacted the corporation for a third time following the allegations emerged last July about his inappropriate behaviour.