BBC presenter Huw Edwards – who was revealed on Wednesday evening as the presenter at the centre of the explicit pictures allegations – once spoke candidly about his previous struggle with depression.
A statement from his wife, Vicky Flind, on Wednesday evening (July 12) explained that Huw has been dealing with “serious mental health issues” and she referenced his past issues with depression.
She said the newsreader is “now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future”. Vicky also said it has been “five extremely difficult days for our family” amid the recent allegations.
Huw Edwards depression
Speaking to Men’s Health UK in 2022, Huw opened up about his past struggles with depression. He said: “I’m pretty clear that I have suffered – and do suffer – from depression.
Your mind goes into a place where you don’t want to do anything.
“It’s not anxiety, although it includes anxiety, but it tends to hit me in a strong wave and then go away… I think at least I now know when I’m going to enter a phase like that.”
He continued: “Your mind goes into a place where you don’t want to do anything. You can’t make any decisions.
“Things that you usually enjoy, you dread. You come into work and obviously you do a professional job, but you’re kind of pushing your way through it.”
Huw also said at the time that the depression would leave him bedridden.
He said: “And, of course, if it’s very bad – as it has been a few times over the course of 20 years – you can’t work. During the worst one I had, I couldn’t get out of bed.”
On another occasion, Huw spoke about getting “funny looks” from people. He previously told Good Housekeeping magazine: “In many cases, it will pass, but in others, you need help, whether that’s therapy or some antidepressants.
“It’s not easy because you do get funny looks from people who think that mental health issues mean you can’t do your job properly. But I hope I’ve shown that with some help, you can.”
BBC statement
Following Huw’s wife’s statement, a BBC spokesperson added: “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.”
What are the allegations against him?
Allegations against the presenter first emerged on July 7, with The Sun claiming a 17 year old, who is now 20, was paid £35,000 for explicit images over a period of three years.
Read more: Huw Edwards: Full statement from his wife as BBC presenter receives hospital treatment
Two days later, the star was suspended. The BBC shared in a statement: “The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May. New allegations were put to us on Thursday (July 6) of a different nature. In addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols. We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.”
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