Huw Edwards has sparked reports he is considering a TV comeback with a surprising move – but is that really possible for the disgraced star? A PR expert reveals all…
It’s no surprise that Huw Edwards has kept a very low-profile since receiving a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after he admitted charges of making indecent images of children. And it was assumed he would continue to shun the spotlight.
However, the disgraced BBC news presenter has sparked surprising rumours he is considering a return to TV. The 64-year-old raised eyebrows when he posted a new brooding black and white portrait photo on his Facebook account.
The headshot shows Huw wearing a checked jacket and shirt, sporting white stubble and with a half-smile. Perhaps surprisingly, it elicited a number of positive comments from his fans, including one which read: “I hope you are keeping well Huw. Remember,you have so much talent to share.” Another told him in Welsh: “Hurry back Huw, you are a big loss, all the best in the future.”
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Huw was sentenced in September 2024 after pleading guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children. The court heard that among a number of WhatsApp exchanges with a man later convicted of sex offences, he was offered “naughty” images of somebody described as “yng (sic)”, to which he replied “go on”.
The former newsreader admitted having 41 images, which were sent to him on WhatsApp – including some showing a victim aged between seven and nine. He was sent images by a 25-year-old convicted sex offender called Alex Williams. The court heard that in another exchange with Williams, Edwards replied “yes” followed by three ‘X’s when asked whether he wanted sexual images of a person whose “age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16”.
Given the nature of his crimes, is a comeback really possible for the Welsh TV presenter? We spoke to PR expert Mayah Riaz about what the future could hold for Huw. She told the Mirror: “When it comes to Huw Edwards potentially returning to TV, the public mood will be everything. Right now, this feels less like a comeback story and more like a reputational minefield. Audiences do have short memories, but they do not have no memory. Trust, once damaged at that level, is incredibly hard to rebuild.
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“If Huw is genuinely considering a return, it would need to be carefully handled, slower paced and rooted in accountability, not reinvention. A slick photoshoot or brooding portrait does not equal redemption. In fact, it can backfire and look tone deaf if the public feels someone is trying to bypass the hard work of rebuilding trust. Right now, the optics of this scream strategy, not sincerity, and viewers are very sharp when it comes to spotting spin.”
Mayah continued: “The difference between a comeback and a career misstep is timing and humility. Right now, it feels too soon and too visible. You cannot rebrand your way out of a reputational crisis, and the audience will not be fooled by a moody headshot and a soft launch. If he returns, it would likely need to be away from mainstream broadcasting at first, something lower profile and more reflective. You do not glide back onto prime time like nothing happened, the public will not buy that.
Source: Mirror
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