Irvine Welsh deleted a tweet he wrote after Huw Edwards was revealed as the BBC presenter caught up in serious allegations (Picture: Getty/REX)
Irvine Welsh has issued an apology for a previous tweet he wrote about Huw Edwards.
The Scottish novelist, 64, took to social media to admit he had been ‘ignorant’ after Edwards was revealed as the BBC presenter at the heart of a recent scandal.
In a statement from the broadcaster’s wife Vicky Flind on Wednesday night (July 12), it was confirmed that, after a week of speculation, Edwards was the the suspended presenter at the centre of allegations, after it was claimed an unnamed star paid a young person more than £35,000 for sexually explicit images.
The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that there is no evidence of a crime being committed.
Edwards, 61, is currently in hospital and ‘receiving in-patient treatment’ for ‘serious mental health issues’, with his wife saying that is where he will stay for ‘the forseeable future’.
Taking to Twitter on Thursday (July 13), writer Welsh explained his reasons for deleting an earlier tweet.
The broadcaster is currently receiving in-patient treatment for his mental health (Picture: PA)
He had previously accused Edwards of playing a ‘mental health card’.
‘Hi all, deleted the Huw Edwards tweet as I haven’t been following the situation and didn’t know enough about it to pass the comment’, he wrote.
‘My reaction was that yet another perverted celebrity was cynically playing the mental health card.
‘But it was an ignorant thing to say.’
He added that he ‘doesn’t know what the circumstances are’ but he also ‘doesn’t really care’.
His followers responded by saying things like ‘fair play’ and praising Welsh’s ‘honesty’ and ‘courage’ to admit to making a ‘mistake’.
Welsh’s comments come after the BBC released a statement to say they will focus on ‘fact finding’ now an investigation has resumed into Edwards.
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A spokesperson said the corporation is also likely to consider separate allegations of potential workplace misconduct that are not of a criminal nature.
The BBC said the focus would be on ensuring due process and a thorough assessment of the facts while ‘continuing to be mindful of our duty of care to all involved’.
As Edwards remains in hospital, the BBC insisted that it would be mindful of its duty of care.
Their investigation follows other claims being made about inappropriate messages from Edwards by other members of BBC staff.
The corporation’s internal fact-finding investigation was paused at the Metropolitan Police’s request while it carried out its own enquiries.
Novelist Welsh admitted his initial tweet was ‘ignorant’ (Picture: Euan Cherry/Getty Images)
Director general Tim Davie also said that he had asked for a separate review into whether the BBC’s complaints protocols and procedures were appropriate, after it was revealed the corporation contacted the family who made the allegations about Edwards just twice – despite deeming them ‘very serious’.
Next week BBC director-general Tim Davie will be questioned in Parliament about the corporation’s leadership following the allegations.
Amid the media storm, several TV stars have spoken out with their views and to offer support to Edwards.
Jeremy Vine – who previously made it clear he wanted to distance himself from the allegations and denied it being him – criticised The Sun, who initially broke the story about Edwards, before he was named.
‘You have to be certain before running something that destroys a man. It now looks like he, very sadly, is in a terrible way,’ he said on his radio show.
Edwards has received support from co-stars and fellow TV presenters (Picture: PA)
His wife, Vicky Flind, confirmed his identity in a statement issued on his behalf after a week of speculation (Picture: Noble/Draper)
Meanwhile, Loose Women was praised for its ‘respectful’ approach to the news.
Kaye Adams began today’s show by reading out the statement from Edwards’s wife.
She then said: ‘It’s impossible for us to know what his family is going through in that situation and Vicky has asked that their privacy is respected, so that is what we are going to do and we are going to leave that one there.’
Vicky Flind’s statement in full, on behalf of her husband Huw Edwards
‘In light of the recent reporting regarding the “BBC Presenter” I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family.
‘I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.
‘Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.
‘The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.
‘Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published. To be clear Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday.
‘In the circumstances and given Huw’s condition I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected.
‘I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation.
‘We hope this statement will bring that to an end.’
‘It was an ignorant thing to say.’
