A major new television drama is set to dissect the spectacular fall from grace of former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards, with actor Martin Clunes taking on the lead role.
From News at Ten to National Scandal
The two-part factual series, commissioned by broadcaster 5 (formerly Channel 5), will chart how one of the BBC's most trusted and highly-paid faces became embroiled in one of the most damaging scandals in the corporation's history. The programme, with the working title Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, promises to explore the 'double life' led by the presenter.
Edwards's career unravelled in July 2023 after The Sun newspaper published allegations that an unnamed 'top BBC star' had paid a teenager for sexual images. His wife, Vicky Flind, publicly identified him as the presenter in question shortly afterwards. After a Metropolitan Police investigation, Edwards pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in July 2024 to three offences of making indecent images of children.
The court heard that between December 2020 and August 2021, Edwards was involved in a WhatsApp conversation with an adult man who sent him 377 sexual images. Forty-one of these were indecent images of children, including one depicting a child aged between seven and nine. The 64-year-old father of five was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £3,000 in costs. He resigned from the BBC in April 2024 and has been rarely seen in public since.
A Story of Power and Betrayal
The drama will be directed by Michael Samuels, known for The Windermere Children and Any Human Heart. It will feature interviews with journalists and others involved in breaking the story, blending factual reporting with scripted drama. This project marks the first collaboration between 5’s factual and scripted commissioning teams.
Ben Frow, chief content officer at 5, stated the series would scrutinise both the investigation and the wider repercussions of the case. "This is an important and shocking story of how a man in a position of power and trust betrayed that status," he said. "By gaining exclusive access to key individuals involved and those who investigated the story, we explore the human cost behind the headlines."
A Career of Contrasts
The drama will highlight the stark contrast between Edwards's public persona and his private actions. Born in Bridgend, Wales, he spent decades as a leading newsreader for the BBC, fronting coverage of monumental national events including the death of Queen Elizabeth II. His portrayal by Martin Clunes, best known for his role in Doc Martin, is expected to be a central focus of the series, which aims to show how a respected journalist's life and career completely collapsed.
