Huw Edwards in hospital with serious mental health issues in wake of allegations

12 July 2023 , 17:42

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Huw Edwards' wife Vicky has said her husband is suffering with 'serious mental health issues' and is being treated in hospital after he was named as a presenter who had allegedly paid a young person £35,000 for sexually explicit pictures (Image: Getty Images)

Huw Edwards is suffering with "serious mental health issues" and is being treated in hospital.

His wife Vicky Flind released a statement naming him as the BBC presenter at the centre of the teen sex picture allegations, as she explained he was receiving "in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future". She explained how he had been treated for severe depression in the recent years and the recent allegations had "greatly worsened matters" for him.

Reports released last week claimed that an unnamed presenter had paid a young person £35,000 for sexually explicit pictures over the course of three years. The incident is said to have taken place when the person was aged 17 until the age of 20.

In a lengthy statement, wife Vicky shared: "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."

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She added: "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."

Vicky vowed that Huw would speak out about the allegations when he was well enough to do so.

"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," she added.

Along with the initial allegations, a second young person came forward to the BBC and claimed they had received abusive messages, from the presenter after making contact on a dating app. On Wednesday, another person spoke to The Sun where they alleged that the presenter had broken lockdown rules in 2021 to meet someone from a dating site.

*If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email [email protected]

Jasmine Allday