Former BBC News star Jon Sopel lashes out at Huw Edwards coverage-Sabrina Barr-Entertainment – Metro

Sopel expressed his support for Edwards (Picture: Getty)

Former BBC News star Jon Sopel has criticised the way in which the BBC has covered the news of Huw Edwards being named as the suspended presenter at the centre of allegations.

On Wednesday July 12, Vicky Flind released a statement on the behalf of her husband, Edwards, revealing that he was the presenter who was claimed to have paid a young person more than £35,000 for sexually explicit images, among other allegations.

In her statement, Flind said that her husband was ‘suffering from serious mental health issues’ and ‘is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future’.

Sopel has held several roles in the past with the BBC, including being the broadcaster’s North America Editor, chief political correspondent of BBC News and working as a presenter on the BBC’s Politics Show.

When it was first announced that Edwards, 61, was the previously-unnamed presenter, Sopel, 64, reacted to the news by stressing: ‘And police say no criminal offence committed.’

The co-presenter of the podcast The News Agents then followed up with a tweet that read: ‘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 @thehuwedwards well.’

Sopel said that he wishes Edwards ‘well’ (Picture: BBC News)

Sopel posted another tweet regarding Edwards identity being revealed, criticising the way in which the BBC handled its coverage.

‘Dear @BBCRadio4 @BBCNews, Well done on handling the breaking news about @thehuwedwards and the fact that he’s now being treated in hospital – but to then straight off back of that into a report on him facing fresh allegations of misconduct? That was just terrible,’ he stated.

The journalist also spoke to LBC, having worked with Edwards for more than three decades.

Addressing Edwards’s mental health, Sopel said: ‘Huw has talked in the past about his depression. The Sun initially made some very serious allegations on the Saturday morning: that he might have solicited photos from someone who was underage and had therefore committed a criminal offence.’

Sopel was critical of how the BBC handled its coverage (Picture: Twitter/@jonsopel)

He continued: ‘I would also say that I think that some of my colleagues in BBC News need to look at themselves because I think some of what was said, reported, and led on last night again showed that [Huw] had a slightly complicated personal life. It didn’t show criminality.’

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed no criminal offence has been committed by Mr Edwards, with a BBC spokesperson saying: ‘We have seen the statement from the police confirming they have completed their assessment and are not taking further action. We’re grateful to them for completing this work at speed.

‘The police had previously asked us to pause our fact finding investigations and we will now move forward with that work, ensuring due process and a thorough assessment of the facts, whilst continuing to be mindful of our duty of care to all involved.’

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