Huw Edwards 'bombarded' young men with celeb selfies after seducing them on 'sugar daddy' websites: Shamed ex-BBC star tried to impress with snaps of him next to Mary Berry and Tom Jones

By OLIVIA CHRISTIE, NEWS REPORTER and ED HOLT

Published: | Updated:

Disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards 'bombarded' a young man with pictures of him posing next to celebrities such as Dame Mary Berry and Sir Tom Jones after seducing him on a sugar daddy website, it has been revealed. 

The young man, who was 23 at the time, said he felt like Edwards, 62, was using his showbiz connections to try and impress him, The Sun has reported. 

The pair met on a website that allows older men to meet younger partners in 2020, before moving onto WhatsApp to chat privately. 

It was on there that the BBC newsreader reportedly sent the man a flurry of celeb pics and provocative messages. 

On one occasion he sent the 23-year-old a picture of him and Mary Berry while on set for a Great British Bake Off Christmas special with the caption 'How bout me and Mary B.'

Edwards then sent the man a snap of him and singer Sir Tom Jones with the message 'Thought you'd like this of me with Tom'. 

Huw Edwards sent the 23-year-old a picture of him and Mary Berry while on set for a Great British Bake Off Christmas special

Huw Edwards sent the 23-year-old a picture of him and Mary Berry while on set for a Great British Bake Off Christmas special

Edwards then sent the man a snap of him and singer Sir Tom Jones with the message 'Thought you'd like this of me with Tom'

Edwards then sent the man a snap of him and singer Sir Tom Jones with the message 'Thought you'd like this of me with Tom'

A selfie taken by Edwards of him inside the BBC building

A selfie taken by Edwards of him inside the BBC building 

Former BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards arriving at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this week

Former BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards arriving at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this week 

The man said: 'He was always talking about his career and people he knew.

'The whole thing was creepy. It was as if he thought I should respect him because of his job.

'But then he would always make it sexual straight after and he asked me for pictures of myself.

He said that Edwards tried to pressure him into meeting up and that they eventually did so when Covid restrictions were in place. 

According to The Sun, the WhatsApp messages were exchanged between December 2020 and February 2021.

The 23-year-old said he submitted a complaint to the BBC when the initial allegations surrounding Huw came to light to July last year. 

But he said that he had an interview but no one from the corporation ever got back to him. 

It comes after it was revealed the stepfather of a man who Edwards paid for explicit pictures confronted the disgraced BBC newsreader at a busy train station in a newly released video.

The footage taken in May last year shows Edwards on the platform of a train station waiting to meet the man for a secret rendezvous. 

Edwards paid the man £35,000 for the sexual images and then allegedly asked him to sign a non-disclosure agreement. 

By chance, the mother spotted messages from Edwards to her son, who was 17 at the time, discussing the agreement and asking for them to meet at a train station. 

The furious stepfather then rushed to attempt to confront the 62-year-old at the train station. 

The footage taken in May last year shows Edwards on the platform of a train station waiting to meet man for a secret rendezvous

The footage taken in May last year shows Edwards on the platform of a train station waiting to meet man for a secret rendezvous

Edwards appeared in Westminster Magistrate Court this week where he admitted to having indecent images of children as young as seven after being sent them on WhatsApp

Edwards appeared in Westminster Magistrate Court this week where he admitted to having indecent images of children as young as seven after being sent them on WhatsApp

Court artist drawing of Edwards. The veteran news broadcaster pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, between December 2020 and August 2022 on Wednesday

Court artist drawing of Edwards. The veteran news broadcaster pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, between December 2020 and August 2022 on Wednesday

Before the scandal broke last year, Edwards was one of the BBC's most famous stars where he covered major events for BBC News including the Queen's death and King Charles's coronation (pictured: Edwards on the day the Queen died)

Before the scandal broke last year, Edwards was one of the BBC's most famous stars where he covered major events for BBC News including the Queen's death and King Charles's coronation (pictured: Edwards on the day the Queen died) 

In a shocking video, obtained by The Sun, Edwards can be seen on the platform opposite the stepfather seemingly waiting to catch a train among other passengers.

The mother then contacted her son to say his stepfather was on his way to confront Edwards. It is understood that this message was relayed to Edwards who then made a swift exit on the next train back to London without their meeting taking place.

Recalling the events, the stepfather told The Sun: 'I was so angry. I just wanted to confront him and tell him to stop doing what he was doing.

'I didn't even care if I got arrested — I wanted everyone to know what was happening.'

The stepfather then attempted to make an official complaint to the BBC nearby regional office where he was given a number to call BBC London instead.

The stepfather claims this number did not work but eventually the family managed to get in touch with the BBC's Audience Service who sent the case to the organisation's Corporate Investigations team. 

It has since been admitted by the BBC that they made one phone call to the organisation but it did not connect. 

After this the family went to The Sun newspaper who broke the shocking claims that Edwards had paid for explicit pictures from the man. 

Edwards was later suspended before he left the BBC in April this year. Now the Welshman is facing up to 10 years in jail after he admitted to having indecent images of children as young as seven after being sent them on WhatsApp. 

The collection of 41 images showed youngsters aged between seven and 14, with the veteran news broadcaster pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, between December 2020 and August 2022 on Wednesday.

Before the scandal broke last year, Edwards was one of the BBC's most famous stars where he covered major events for BBC News including the Queen's death and King Charles's coronation. 

The Director General was summoned to meet Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy on Thursday to explain the BBC's role in the scandal, including who had knowledge of Edwards' arrest in November last year.

Lisa Nandy is now calling on Edwards to hand back his huge £200,000 salary which he was paid after the arrest and while he was suspended from the BBC.   

Huw EdwardsMary BerryWhatsappTom Jones

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