Martin Clunes To Play Huw Edwards In Channel 5 Drama

The downfall of disgraced BBC News presenter Huw Edwards is to be explored in a new drama for 5, the broadcaster formerly known as Channel 5.

In the two-part series, Bafta winner Martin Clunes will play the former news anchor, who was given a suspended prison sentence in 2024 after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

A first-look image from the show, tentatively titled Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards, depicts the Doc Martin actor in character as Edwards, in a recreation of the BBC News studio.

In an official synopsis, 5 said their new drama would reflect on Edwards’ “double life as it spirals out of control, leading him to make the greatest announcement of his career – his total exit from public life following his conviction for serious child sexual offences”.

5 boss Ben Frow commented: “This is an important and shocking story – of how a man in a position of power and trust betrayed that status.

“By gaining exclusive access to the key individuals involved and those who investigated the story, we explore the human cost behind the headlines.”

Joining Martin Clunes in the cast will be Chanel Cresswell, Ben Bishop and Clare Calbraith as The Sun journalists Scarlet Howes, Ben O’Driscoll and Victoria Newton, respectively.

Before stepping away from BBC News, Edwards had been the highest-earning member of the corporation’s on-air team for several years running, and was considered by many to be the “face” of the national broadcaster.

Some of his most notable on-screen moments included announcing the death of Queen Elizabeth II to the nation in 2022, as well as leading the BBC’s coverage of some of the most major news events of the 21st century. These included general elections, royal weddings and major sporting events.

In 2023, Edwards first became the subject of public scandal when it was revealed he had been accused of paying a young person to pose for sexually explicit photos, which led to him being suspended from the BBC.

A year later, after withdrawing from public life, it was made public that he had pleaded guilty to having 41 indecent images of children, which, according to BBC News’ reporting at the time, included seven of the most serious category A images – and two clips showing a child as young as seven.