Martin Clunes has been discussing his role in controversial Channel 5 drama, Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards.
The actor portrays the former BBC news anchor in the two-part series, which airs from March 24 at 9pm.
Billed as a factual drama, the show is set to depict the events surrounding Huw's exit from public life in 2023 following his alleged grooming of a 17-year-old boy and for making indecent images of children.
Martin Clunes has spoken about the challenge of getting inside the mind of Huw Edwards for the role, while addressing those who believe it's too soon for the series about the harrowing story to be made.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Martins says of navigating the character and his motivation, "You just have to get behind everything the script gives you," adding, "Judging it [the script] wasn't on my list of things to do."
Martin adds that it was never his job to say, "This was a terrible man who did terrible thing," instead, he worked with the script to bring the character to life for a realistic portrayal.
The actor also explains the series was made "with the full complicity of the family involved." The boy involved in the story, who remains anonymous but is named Ryan for the purposes of dramatisation, was also voluntarily involved in the making of the show.
Speaking about Ryan (Osian Morgan,) Martin says, "It's his story, and I'm the monster in it." He continues, "The word 'power' is everything. I appreciate he's [Huw Edwards] is upset we've made this programme, but he would've reported on other people's downfalls without a second thought."
The actor believes audiences should keep Ryan at the forefront of their minds while tuning in.
"Obviously the press and the media have focussed on the fallen big man, Huw Edwards, which, of course, is a big story," he says, adding, "But behind
that, there's this lad and his family whose lives got turned upside down and rather
spoiled."
As Huw's case is still current and ongoing, the dramatisation has received some backlash from those who feel more time should've passed before it was made.
Martin has a straightforward response for those who feel this way. "If anybody thinks it's too soon, don't watch it," he says, simply.
How to watch Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards from anywhere
If you're in the UK, it's very straightforward to watch the Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, as episodes will air on Channel 5 from March 24, at 9pm.
If you miss either of the two episodes, they'll be available to stream on Channel 5's catch up service, 5, shortly after airing.
If you’re going to be away from your usual TV set-up when the drama airs, you can watch from anywhere in the world with with the use of a Virtual Private Network - a VPN.
A VPN allows you to change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to the show, even if you're not there.
Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate Nord to be the absolute best.
They say, "It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Nord."
If you've never installed a VPN before, don't worry, it's quick and easy. Just follow these three steps:
- Download and install the VPN following NordVPN's easy-to-follow instructions.
- Once you've installed your VPN, open the app and select your server location as anywhere in the UK.
- With your VPN installed and server location set to UK, you can now watch Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards on Channel 5.
