Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
Thursday’s front pages report on the ongoing BBC incident. Last night, presenter Huw Edwards was named by his wife as the individual at the centre of the scandal.
Huw Edward’s wife named him to stop speculation and bullying of other presenters. She said her husband was suffering from ‘serious mental health issues’ and is receiving in-patient hospital care. Her statement said that her husband will address the allegations against him when well enough.
Huw Edwards named
“My husband has serious mental health issues” is the headline on the cover of the Daily Mail, which calls it a “bombshell”. “It IS Huw Edwards,” writes the Metro. The Daily Telegraph says the developments mean the BBC will now come under pressure to justify its suspension of the broadcaster.
The Times, owned by the same Murdoch group as the Sun which published the original allegations, says the tabloid stands by its reporting. But the Guardian‘s Jim Waterson writes of a growing “defensiveness and nervousness” in the Sun’s story over recent days. He says the paper faces “serious questions and a potential legal risk” from its journalism.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Sarah Vine describes Huw Edwards as “the Corporation’s mouthpiece”. “The public’s belief in the integrity of those who hold such exalted positions of power has been shaken to its core, ” she adds.
The i newspaper says the crisis will make it harder for ministers to appoint a high-quality chair of the BBC to replace Richard Sharp, who resigned over claims he had helped secure a loan for Boris Johnson. One person tipped to take on the role told the paper “the whole thing seems an absolute mess”.
The Daily Star carries a photo of Edwards and his wife, reporting that the newsreader is in hospital “as cops say NO crime was committed”.
The Times details the “three-day scoping exercise” by the police to investigate the allegations against Edwards, reporting that officers spoke to the BBC, the young person referenced in the first Sun report, and their family, who have not been identified.
