Ex-Downing Street PR Chief ‘disgusted and appalled’ by Huw Edwards’ crimes

Former Downing Street PR Chief, Guto Harri has discussed the ‘dark shadow’ over ex-broadcaster Huw Edwards, sharing that he was ‘disgusted and appalled’ by the news.

In the most recent episode of S4C’s Y Byd ar Bedwar, Harri also discussed how Edwards “snubbed” David Dimbleby during lunch on one occasion.

Harri and Edwards worked together at the BBC and became friends, who would often dine together in London.

He recalls one occasion where broadcasting giant David Dimbleby walked in, and saw the pair.

“He waved at us from across the restaurant with a big smile on his face, and I waved back,” says Guto Harri, who was Boris Johnson’s Head of Communications.

“Huw [Edwards] looked around and pretended he hadn’t seen him. He said ‘I never acknowledge him’ just to make David Dimbleby look like a fool.”

“It was all because Huw ultimately wanted his job,” Harri told S4C’s current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar.

Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children, and received a six-months suspended jail sentence in September 2024.

Edwards “remembered for something awful”

Reacting to Edwards’ crimes, fellow Welshman Guto Harri says he was “disgusted and appalled” by the news.

“What he’s helping to maintain through looking at photos like that is one of the most filthy things anyone can think about.”

“We were all quite proud of him, I was quite fond of him. But he’s done something that we’re not only ashamed of but we’re disgusted by.”

Huw Edwards, 63, started his career in the BBC in Cardiff, and had a career which spanned more than 40 years.

“The big lesson is to not put someone on such a pedestal where we don’t question the possibility that they have failings.”

“A dark shadow”

Harri continued: “We can’t take away from the fact that Huw was hugely successful with a tremendous ability as a broadcaster, but there’s now a dark shadow over all of that. In the end he will be remembered as someone who did something awful.”

Huw Edwards did not respond to Y Byd ar Bedwar’s request for a response, but last year, before Edwards fronted the King’s Coronation, called David Dimbleby a “gold-plated Rolls-Royce broadcaster”.

“A Board-commissioned independent review of the BBC’s workplace culture is currently underway, with a particular focus on preventing abuse of power and ensuring everyone at the BBC conducts themselves in line with our values.”

A programme on Huw Edwards was broadcasted by ‘Y Byd ar Bedwar’ on S4C on Monday.

You can catch up on BBC iPlayer or S4C Clic. English subtitles available.