How to watch the Huw Edwards documentary in the US

Since former BBC News presenter Huw Edwards was sentenced, two new documentaries have emerged, both of which can be viewed in the US. 

This week, the disgraced newsreader was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London after pleading guilty to three charges regarding indecent images of minors. 

He was given six months in prison, suspended for two years, and must attend a sex offender treatment program and a series of rehabilitation sessions. He has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

To learn more about the disturbing true crime case, here’s how to watch the new documentaries if you’re in the US or anywhere outside the UK. Warning: some may find this content distressing. 

Watch the Huw Edwards documentaries from anywhere

The Sun newspaper has released a 40-minute documentary titled Huw Edwards: Unmasked, which is available to watch for free now on YouTube no matter where you are in the world. 

The BBC has also released Huw Edwards: Fall from Grace, a 20-minute mini-documentary, which is currently available to watch on its streaming service, iPlayer. If you’re outside of the UK, you can watch this using a VPN. 

All you need to do is set your VPN to a UK location, set up a BBC iPlayer account, and hit play. 

Huw Edwards: Fall from Grace examines his rise within the BBC, going on to become one of the best-known newsreaders in Britain, before looking at his crimes. 

The Sun’s Huw Edwards: Unmasked looks at the messages he sent to a teenager, separate to the case he was sentenced for, eliciting sexual images in exchange for money. 

As per the synopsis, the new documentary on “Edwards’ sickening behavior shows how he sent a series of controlling and abusive messages to a young man, who was sending him sexual images in return for payments of tens of thousands of pounds.”

Who is Huw Edwards?

If you’re in the US, it’s worth knowing how prominent Huw Edwards was before his crimes came to light. A Welsh journalist and news presenter, he was best known as the face of the BBC’s flagship news program. 

BBC

Born in 1961, Edwards had been a trusted voice in British journalism for decades, particularly known for anchoring major events such as national elections, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the Queen’s funeral. 

From 2003 to 2023, he led BBC News at Ten, the late evening news program of the British network. 

In addition to his news coverage, Edwards also presented documentaries on British history and culture, including significant pieces on the monarchy. 

His deep knowledge of the UK’s political landscape and his steady presence during breaking news events earned him widespread recognition and several journalism awards. 

Scandal emerges in 2023

In July 2023, The Sun published a front-page report saying a “top BBC star” had been taken off air over allegations they had paid a 17-year-old more than £35,000 ($46K) in return for explicit images. 

According to the teenager’s mother, their child had been using the money to fund a drug addiction, and relatives had begged the presenter to “stop sending the cash.” The report said the BBC star was “off air” while the network investigated the claims. 

Although the presenter wasn’t named at the time, later that month, Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, revealed him as the person at the center of the allegations after he was hospitalized for mental health issues.

She released a statement on his behalf, which read, “In light of the recent reporting regarding the ‘BBC Presenter’ I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family. 

“I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children. 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.”

At the same time, London’s Metropolitan Police released a separate statement saying it had concluded its investigation into the allegations, stating “there is no information to indicate that a criminal offense has been committed.”

For readers in the US, it’s worth pointing out that the age of consent in the UK is 16. However, as is explored in The Sun’s new documentary, there are allegations Edwards groomed the young teen at the center of this case. 

Edwards is arrested

In November 2023, the disgraced news anchor was arrested following a completely separate investigation where a phone was seized, uncovering incriminating WhatsApp messages. 

Between 2020 and 2021, convicted pedophile Alex Williams, now 25, had been sending Edwards hundreds of indecent images and videos, 41 of which involved children.

Two reportedly showed a child aged between the ages of seven and nine, while seven were Category A, the most serious classification. 

Edwards would pay Williams varying sums of money in exchange for the content. Although the presenter asked not to be sent images of people who were underage, the request came after the receipt of a number of incriminating images.

It wasn’t until April 2024 that Edwards resigned from the BBC on doctors’ advice. In June 2024, he was charged on three counts of making indecent images of children.

Last month, the BBC asked him to return the £200,000 he was paid between his November arrest and April resignation. 

Chief Magistrate, district judge Paul Goldspring, said upon Edwards’ sentencing, “It is not an overstatement to say your long-earned reputation is in ‘tatters’”, and that these are “natural consequences of your behavior which you brought upon yourself.”

For more true crime, read up on the Menendez brothers case ahead of Monster Season 2. You can also read about Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter and American Murder.