'Messages from Huw that gave you a cold shudder'

New claims that BBC star sent late-night texts with kisses in 'abuse of power'

- Martin Bentham and Robert Dex

THE Huw Edwards storm grew today as the star presenter continued to receive hospital treatment and the BBC faced fresh questions about its approach after revealing new claims about his conduct.

Neither Edwards nor his wife have commented yet on the most recent allegations. Amid a deepening war of words, the public continued to digest the news that the 61-year-old newsreader was the man at the centre of the explicit photos scandal that has dominated front pages for days.

Edwards, who has anchored the BBC's coverage of major state occasions as well as being its most high-profile and well-paid news presenter, was named yesterday by his wife Vicky Flind as the previously unidentified star accused of paying for explicit photos to be sent to him by a young person after making contact on a dating app.

She said that Edwards- who has also faced claims of sending "creepy" messages to another young person and breaking Covid lockdown rules to meet another was in hospital receiving treatment for "serious mental health issues" which had "greatly worsened" since the allegations about his behaviour emerged.

Her statement came moments after the Metropolitan Police announced that there was "no information to indicate that a criminal offence" had been committed by the presenter.

But within hours the BBC - which was already under fire for not responding to the initial allegations swiftly enough and failing to exercise its duty of care to Edwards - risked deepening the controversy about its handling of the affair by broadcasting new claims that he had sent inappropriate messages to colleagues.