Huw Edwards claims he is ‘uniquely qualified’ to end ‘the silence around serious mental illness’ after conviction for making indecent images of children

Disgraced broadcaster Huw Edwards has sought to address his conviction for making indecent images of children, claiming he is “uniquely qualified” to end the “silence on serious mental illness” in his latest Substack post.

The former BBC presenter, 64, launched her own page on the subscription-based platform on Wednesday, where she said she would ‘offer thoughts on issues of national and local interest’ and ‘address mental health’.

Edwards, once one of the BBC’s most trusted and highest-paid stars, pleaded guilty in July 2024 and was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and placed on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

In his latest post, and his third in as many days, Edwards shared his thoughts about the “deep remorse and remorse” he feels for his crimes.

The former star said he pleaded guilty ‘at the earliest opportunity’, adding: ‘Such images disturb me and my sincere and profound apologies to everyone affected will not diminish with time.’

Edwards also shared that he has been dealing with ‘persistent mental illness’ for 25 years and that his condition has become uncontrollable.

‘The downward spiral that followed led to a terrible outcome, and the wreckage of that outcome is something I experience every day,’ he wrote.

The former broadcaster wrote that mental illness ‘can never be an excuse for committing a crime’ and then added that ‘there is a difference between an excuse and an explanation, and that difference is important.’

Edwards, once one of the BBC’s most trusted and highest-paid stars, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to making indecent images of children.

His goal, he said, is to help institutions that respond to mental illness with “punishment rather than understanding.”

Edwards posted a photo of the sunny Aberystwyth beach in his hometown of West Wales, along with his final thoughts.

Insiders think Substack, which has attracted 540 subscribers so far, represents the first step in Edwards’ career comeback.

His first post, published on Wednesday, was titled Welcome (written in Welsh, Irish, French and English) and subtitled ‘The first step…’ in which the disgraced journalist promised the world a ‘Restart’.

Edwards also promised to ‘offer his thoughts on matters of national and local interest’.

‘In light of my recent experiences,’ the convicted pedophile continued, ‘I would also like to talk about the criminal justice system: the courts, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Probation Service.

‘I am also prepared to be unflinchingly honest about the lack of recognition of the reality of long-term mental illness and the devastating effects it can have on affected individuals, their families and friends. It would be even better if my posts help others facing similar difficulties.’

On Thursday he shared his second post, discussing his feelings about the possibility of Andy Burnham becoming Prime Minister, along with a photo from Llansteffan beach near his home in West Wales.

Huw was given a six-month suspended prison sentence after a year of headlines that began when he was named as the presenter at the center of a scandal over payments to a teenager for indecent images.

Police discovered he gave the victim gifts and money and a number of sexually explicit images, including 41 indecent images of children as young as seven years old.

These included both still and moving images, with the seven most serious being Category A, 12 Category B and 22 Category C.

After his accusations first emerged, his wife of 30 years, TV producer Vicky Flind, left him. He returned to sleepy West Wales to live an isolated life with his elderly mother.

Huw’s return to the world of journalism came just two months before the end of his suspended prison sentence; The former public relations professional revealed this week that Edwards still craves the spotlight.

Journalist Barry Tomes told the Daily Mail: ‘Huw told me he didn’t want to go back to TV. He said part of his life was categorically over. But I think he wants to be in the spotlight again now. I think he misses that. There must be a longing for him.’

On whether he would be the one to help him return to public life, the famous PR said: ‘I wouldn’t work with Huw again, definitely not. I wouldn’t work with him for £100,000 a year because he gets it all wrong.

‘I don’t think Substack is a suitable platform for someone like Huw Edwards. He needs to accept that no one cares about the new Prime Minister and his thoughts on the economy. Nobody cares. When you commit this kind of crime, no one cares about you anymore.’

Tomes continued: ‘I told him he must do nothing while he is serving his sentence, which runs until September. If he was in prison he wouldn’t have a chance to do this. So even if he doesn’t, I don’t think he should do it.

‘I think he’s probably surrounded by close friends who say, ‘You don’t deserve this, you should go back there.’ But people will want to blame him. He’s opening himself up to ridicule.’

Despite his spectacular collapse, talk of Edwards’ comeback began after a Channel 5 program starring Martin Clunes dramatized his crimes, leading to reports that Edwards was planning his own documentary or podcast series.

Edwards launched Substack on Wednesday, his first public move since it was taken down three years ago.

Edwards’ former PR head Barry Tomes has revealed the disgraced broadcaster still craves the limelight

Some industry insiders believe Edwards could re-emerge, citing parallels between the streamer and disgraced TV star Michael Barrymore, who has reinvented himself as a star on TikTok in recent years.

Once one of television’s highest-paid stars, Barrymore found her career coming to a halt after Stuart Lubbock, 31, died at a party at his home in Essex in 2001.

A source said Times: ‘Rehabilitation is a long road, but as Barrymore shows, there are alternative platforms in the digital world that will provide a monetizable afterlife, or at least regain access to drugs, for all fallen idols.’

Substack could be a platform where Edwards can get some of that ‘interest’ back – the co-founders staunchly advocate for allowing people of ‘all tribes and faiths’ to participate, regardless of any controversy surrounding them.

Co-founder Chris Best previously said of the platform: ‘People who subscribe to you decide what kind of conversation you support, not admins, activists or advertisers.

‘We are committed to supporting the rights of creators and their audiences to speak… We believe in the age-old idea that we can strongly disagree with what someone says and still defend their right to say it.’