Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Lifestyle
Megan Nisbet

Huw Edwards learnt of Queen's death 10 seconds before telling nation and kept being messaged by his mum while on air

Huw Edwards learnt about the Queen's death just ten seconds before he had to deliver the news to the nation. The presenter, who was born and raised in Bridgend, was live on BBC One when news of Britain's longest-reigning monarch's passing broke.

The 61-year-old went on to lead coverage of both Her Majesty's death and funeral with an incredible 10-day stint that both informed and reassured millions of viewers. Many were left blown away by Huw's "exceptional" and "calm" broadcasting skills and professionalism. You can read more on this here.

Now, in an interview with the Radio Times, to celebrate 100 years of the BBC, Huw has revealed he only found out about the Queen's death just 10 seconds before he had to deliver the news live on air. He told the publication: "My colleagues were brilliant. Usually, when you have a breaking story, there's a lot of shouting in your ear from the gallery, saying: 'Go to the news, go to the news', but this time was different.

Read more: Huw Edwards says people should treat Welsh independence with a 'note of caution'

"The announcement came up on the wires and the gallery said: 'The announcement is here. Take your time. Speak when you are ready. Don't rush'."

Huw had been presenting the rolling coverage for around five hours before the announcement and said the run-up to reporting the death was more stressful than the announcement itself. He explained: "When you're filling airtime like that, the capacity for making mistakes is limitless, and we could have been filling for another four hours."

When asked about his unfaltering coverage in the days that followed Huw said he was "desperate not to make a terrible mistake" and was nervous about tripping up. He added: "My mum kept messaging me, saying, 'You look exhausted, there are huge bags under your eyes'."

The day after the Queen's funeral, Huw took to Twitter to praise his colleagues and those behind the camera. The humble host shared a series of stills of himself and the camera crews in the studio, as well as a poignant snap of a rainbow over Westminster Abbey.

He captioned it: "Behind the camera - an army of the best talent in broadcasting. My thanks to them and to all of you for the kind messages. Diolch." You can read more on this here. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.