Huw Edwards lured young colleague to hotel room moments after presenting Prince Philip’s funeral where Queen sat alone
SHAMED Huw Edwards invited a young TV producer to stay in his hotel room at Prince Philip’s funeral, The Sun can reveal.
The fallen ex-BBC presenter even sent a picture of the suite – understood to have been licence-payer funded suite and which only had one bed – as he urged the producer to join him.
But the young worker, who had been in touch with the star after meeting online, declined the offer which would have in breach of strict Covid rules at the time.
The producer was one of several young BBC staff who paedophile Edwards, 62, messaged with unwanted advances that became a pattern of behaviour.
The telly worker has now left the Beeb after also receiving unwanted advances from another of its stars.
Our revelations come a day after disgraced Edwards – who now faces jail – admitted child abuse image offences in court.
At the time of Prince Philip’s April 2021 state funeral, indoor mixing was barred – leaving the late Queen famously pictured in mourning and alone at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
The BBC led coverage of the event – with pictures beamed around the world – and had hundreds of staff working on coverage of funeral, which included information on the latest Covid regulations.
But Edwards appeared happy to flout rules, sending messages inviting the producer in his 20s to join him.
The day before the funeral, he told the producer he was staying overnight in Windsor, writing: “Staying there overnight then all day Saturday.
“If you’re around tomorrow night let me know.”
The next morning – the day of the ceremonial funeral on Saturday April 17, 2021 – he wrote: “Missed a good night.
“You could have stayed here.
“We had a nice evening after the show.”
He then sent the picture of the room, showing a posh suite with one double bed, mounted wall mirrors, a small sofa, chairs and a coffee table.
Alongside it, the BBC star – who had been asked if there was a spare room – wrote: “Not spare but plenty of room.”
The shocking invite came among a glut of messages Edwards sent to the young worker.
Others saw him repeatedly try to meet the producer with invites to a pad in central London.
Married dad-of-five Edwards started messaging after the producer – who looked up to the presenter due to his stature at the Beeb – followed him online.
FALL FROM GRACE
By Ed Southgate
Pervert presenter Huw Edwards had a glittering BBC career and was even tipped for a knighthood before his rapid fall from grace.
He was News at Ten anchor when he bowed and shook hands with Queen Elizabeth II as she opened the Beeb’s new Broadcasting House in London in June 2013.
Edwards held the nation’s hand through monumental events including the Queen’s death and funeral in 2022, the coronation last year of King Charles and numerous general election night specials.
The veteran broadcaster, 62, was widely rumoured to be in line for a knighthood for “holding it together” when announcing the Queen’s death.
But after The Sun exposed his sick behaviour, he quit the BBC after 40 years and now faces jail.
The TV host messaged the producer online and then asked them to switch their chat to WhatsApp.
One of former News Ten anchor Edwards’ first messages saw him say: “Hello beauty.”
The TV worker said: “He wanted to meet in private and put quite a lot of pressure on me to do so.
“I thought it was odd and very inappropriate given his position and the age gap.”
And – responding to Edwards pleading guilty – the producer added: “I am shocked but it just shows what sort of person he is, and that people were right to try to speak out.”
The messages came during the period – between December 2020 and August 2021 – that Edwards accessed indecent images sent to him by paedophile Alex Williams, 25.
He sent the veteran newsreader 41 images – including two videos of a boy aged seven to nine – in a vile WhatsApp exchange.
Edwards pleaded guilty yesterday to three charges of making indecent images of children – and will be sentenced on September 16.
The BBC has been contacted.
BBC's statement in full
“The BBC is shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today.
“There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected. The police have confirmed that the charges are not connected to the original complaint raised with the BBC in the summer of 2023.
“Nevertheless in the interests of transparency we think it important to set out some points about events of the last year.
“In November 2023, whilst Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC as his employer was made aware in confidence that he had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation.
“At the time, no charges had been brought and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health.
“Today we have learnt of the conclusion of the police process in the details as presented to the court.
“If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end, at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.
“During this period, in the usual way, the BBC has kept its corporate management of these issues separate from its independent editorial functions. We want to reiterate our shock at Mr Edwards’ actions and our thoughts remain with all those affected.”
