Huw Edwards offers to work for charities after pleading guilty to making indecent images of children

Disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards is offering his services to charities for free despite being charged with making indecent images of children.

The former BBC journalist, 63, has advertised his services on LinkedIn claiming he will work for not-for-profit groups. He is due to be sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to charges in July - admitting to having 41 images on WhatsApp, including some of the most serious types, which were obtained between December 2020 and August 2021.

On his LinkedIn page he offers help in the areas of interview preparation, public speaking and political consulting. He says: “After four decades of top-level experience in journalism, media, politics and communications I’m available for no charge to charities and not-for-profit organisations.”

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He also has an image of himself interviewing ex-US President Barack Obama and has listed his areas of expertise including “public speaking, public relations and interview preparation”.

A source told The Sun: “If Huw really feels like being so charitable, perhaps he could start with the £200,000 he owes licence-fee payers.

"While charity work, obviously, is a laudable thing, this seems like a cynical ploy.”

The former star was paid between £475,000 and £479,999 for 160 presenting days during the 2023/24 year. He vanished from screens in July 2023 after news of the allegations broke.

He received between £435,000 and £439,999 for 180 days of presenting the previous year.

It comes after BBC chairman Samir Shah admitted that Edwards "damaged" the reputation of the corporation. He was questioned alongside Director-general Tim Davie before the House of Lords' Communications and Digital Committee on their future strategy, as well as the broadcaster's funding model amid a decline in licence fee payers.

Mr Davie also gave an update on recovering an estimated £200,000 in pay from disgraced former newsreader Edwards. He said: “We’ve made the formal request, and I can’t go into too much detail, but discussions are underway, but I’ve got no further news, apart from the BBC’s position is clear, the money should be returned, and we made the request.”

When asked if he set a deadline, he said: “I don’t believe we set a deadline… but we do expect to make progress and get an answer.” Mr Davie also said the BBC will “explore” the legal process if Edwards refuses.

When asked about the situation, Mr Shah told the committee: "There's nothing more important than public trust in the BBC, and we are custodians of that trust and what Huw Edwards did damaged the reputation and the trust for BBC so we take that very seriously indeed."

"I should say, it was a shock to discover, when it was announced, when he was charged, that he had led this double life. On the face of it, a trusted news presenter, but hidden, secretly, he was this figure who did the most appalling things. I mean, let's never forget the victims."

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