Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards true story – how did the scandal unfold?

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards explores one of the most shocking media scandals of recent years, when one of the UK's most respected journalistic voices was exposed as living a sinister double life.

Edwards (portrayed in this one-off drama by Martin Clunes) was ultimately convicted on three counts of making indecent images of children, for which he was given a six-month suspended sentence and listed on the sex offenders' register.

However, another angle of the story, explored in 5's hard-hitting programme, explores the impact of Edwards on a young man he spoke to between the ages of 17 and 20.

The anonymous individual, referred to as 'Ryan' in the dramatisation (played by Osian Morgan), was at the centre of early reports by The Sun, which revealed that Edwards had been paying him for sexual videos.

But the details of their toxic dynamic went largely overlooked as questions over Edwards's employment, salary and, eventually, criminality became the focus of news coverage.

This drama, written and produced in collaboration with the victim and his family, aims to help rectify that balance. Here you'll find an overview of the disturbing true story that inspired Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards.

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards true story – how did the scandal unfold?

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards opens with a recreation of the newsreader telling the nation that Queen Elizabeth II had died at the age of 96 in September 2022.

Though not the only noteworthy story he covered in his years behind the BBC News desk, this particular report epitomises the sheer level of trust that the corporation – and viewers at home – placed in Edwards at that point in time.

"It's one of those moments – everyone knows where they were when they saw it," recalled Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards director Michael Samuels.

"From a craft point of view, we wanted to get the look of the scene right... but what really interested me was exploring what's going on underneath with Huw Edwards's hidden life at that time."

That as-yet-unseen side of the news anchor was far darker than anyone expected, with this drama exploring his impact on a young man named 'Ryan' (not his real name).

The connection began during the COVID-19 pandemic – another time when BBC News played a pivotal role in our day-to-day lives – after 17-year-old 'Ryan' met Alex Williams on a dating app, who informed him that Edwards would be open to contact.

Williams was later revealed to have supplied Edwards with indecent images of children, although 'Ryan' did not know this at the time.

'Ryan' messaged Edwards on social media soon after the tip-off and, over the next few years, provided him with sexual videos in exchange for large sums of money sent to his PayPal account, totalling tens of thousands of pounds.

This money became increasingly important to 'Ryan', whose turbulent relationship with his mother and step-father had led him to sleep on friends' sofas and even at a homeless shelter.

The anonymous young man gave an interview to The Mirror in August 2024, then-aged 21, after Edwards was charged with making indecent images of children, which offered insight into their dynamic.

He recalled feeling, during the period of their communication, that Edwards genuinely "cared" for him, but later came to view these exchanges in a very different light.

"Although it was a friendship at the beginning, it did change," he said. "He would say things like, 'Are you going to do something for me then?' I needed help, so I did.

"I feel like he sort of fed on my vulnerability... as he knew I needed the money. I felt like I was being groomed."

He added: "That's how the manipulation started. I looked up to this man but he didn't really care about me. I felt like he was taking advantage of me but I felt I had to listen to him because he was Huw Edwards."

This misplaced sense of loyalty to Edwards stopped the young man from going to the papers or to the BBC at an earlier point, with his mother and step-father eventually taking the matter out of his hands.

They were horrified when they learned of the influence that Edwards had over their son and the material that they had been sharing, not least because they said the money from the BBC star was going towards 'Ryan's addiction to crack cocaine.

The parents first complained to the BBC about Edwards and demanded that payments cease immediately.

When the corporation failed to take swift action, their next port of call was The Sun newspaper and its reporter Scarlet Howes, who published an initial story in July 2023 that sent a shockwave through the UK media industry.

The front page of the tabloid read, "Top BBC star in sex pics probe: Presenter now off-air".

Due to legal concerns, Edwards was not named at this stage, resulting in a flurry of accusations on social media as users speculated on the identity of the mystery celebrity.

After almost a week of such frenzied activity, Edwards's wife Vicky Flind released a statement confirming his identity as the subject of The Sun's reporting.

"I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children," she wrote. "Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.

"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."

The disclosure that Edwards was suffering "serious mental health issues", combined with the absence of criminality at that time, led to backlash towards The Sun for how it disclosed the information.

However, these misgivings largely fell away in July 2024, a year on from the initial report, when the Metropolitan Police charged Edwards with making indecent images of children (by receiving them digitally).

The aforementioned Alex Williams, who had first suggested to 'Ryan' that he contact Edwards, had supplied the newsreader with the illegal material, which included seven category A images (i.e. the most extreme).

It was at this stage that 'Ryan' finally dropped any attempts to justify Edwards's conduct to himself or others.

In his Mirror interview, he said: "Last year, I was still protecting him... and I didn't really understand his true nature. But then hearing this news, all those nagging doubts were confirmed. It made my stomach drop."

The BBC later apologised to 'Ryan's parents following a review into its complaints procedure, admitting that it should have acted more quickly on their initial complaint.

The Sun's reporting was a major resource in the creation of 5 drama Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, as producer Samantha Anstiss told press at the premiere of the one-off drama.

"After trusting us, [The Sun] was able to share affidavits and incredible first-hand primary source materials," she recalled. "These text messages, which I must admit, when I first saw them, I felt like I was going into the heart of darkness."

Ultimately, Edwards pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children (by receiving digital copies) and was later handed a six-month suspended sentence as well as being placed on the sex offenders' register.

The sentence was reduced due to the ex-presenter's mental health issues and his early plea, although some commentators have questioned its perceived lenience in that it did not demand any prison time.

There was also an uproar over the salary that Edwards had taken during his suspension, which the BBC asked to be returned. As of September 2024, it was "still waiting" for that to happen.

In the midst of all these questions, revelations and furious debates, the matter of 'Ryan's interactions with Edwards became a less talked-about point, despite the hurt that he and his family had suffered through.

Ahed of transmission, Edwards criticised the programme makers in a statement provided to MailOnline, claiming that production company Wonderhood Studios "made no attempt to check with me the truth of any aspect of their narrative before going ahead with the production".

He continued: "They belatedly asked for a response after the drama had been made, while reserving the right to edit any such response. They also refused to disclose whether any of those making allegations had been paid for their contributions.

"I am making an effort to produce my own account of these terrible events. This is a slow process given the fragile state of my health.

"Mental illness is misunderstood by many but can never be an excuse for criminality. It can, however, at least help explain why people sometimes behave in shocking and reprehensible ways, and why things fell apart for me in the way they did."

In response, broadcaster 5 insisted that the drama had been produced "in accordance with Ofcom's Broadcasting Code".

A spokesperson for the channel told Radio Times: "Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards is based on extensive interviews with the victim, his family, the journalists who revealed his story, text exchanges between the victim and Edwards, and court reporting.

"All allegations made in the film were put to Huw Edwards via his solicitors six weeks before transmission."

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards premieres on 5 on Tuesday 24th March 2026.

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