Former BBC presenters have issued public support for Huw Edwards after he was named as the man at the centre of allegations over payments for sexually explicit images. Vicky Flind, the wife of the BBC news reader, issued a statement confirming Mr Edwards was the presenter at the centre of a story driven by The Sun.
The newspaper first reported allegations last week of a then-unnamed BBC presenter paying someone for sexual images. After days of speculation, the naming of Mr Edwards as the presenter at the centre of the allegations took place on Wednesday (July 12).
In the statement from his wife, she said Mr Edwards was now in hospital receiving mental health care. Following the statement, several former BBC presenter and colleagues of Mr Edwards issued online statements wishing him well.
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Jon Sopel, the BBC's former North America Editor and now the host of the daily podcast The News Agents, said: "This is an awful and shocking episode, where there was no criminality, but perhaps a complicated private life. That doesn't feel very private now.
"I hope that will give some cause to reflect. They really need to. I wish Huw Edwards well."
Dan Walker, a former BBC Breakfast host who now presents Channel 5 News, said: "This is an awful situation and will come as a big shock to many. Huw Edwards is clearly not in a good place at the moment and this must be terrible for his family.
"I just hope that whoever needs help - on all sides of this - gets the time, space & support they need to heal." Veteran BBC presenter and journalist John Simpson added: "I feel so sorry for everyone involved in this: for the Edwards family, for the complainants, and for Huw himself.
"No criminal offences were committed, so it’s a purely personal tragedy for everyone involved. Let's hope the press leave them all alone now." The Metropolitan Police said earlier on Wednesday that no criminal offence had been committed by Mr Edwards.
The BBC has reopened its own internal investigation into the matter. The Sun now says it has no plans to publish further allegations about the presenter and will cooperate with the BBC's investigation.
