Disgraced BBC presenter Huw Edwards published his first poem in a new Substack page, where he reflected on grief and shame
Huw Edwards has published his first poem on Substack(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Huw Edwards has published the first poem on his controversial new Substack page, after being met with backlash for attempting to reboot his public career.
The disgraced former BBC host was given a six-month suspended prison sentence, and axed from his top job at the corporation, after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in July 2024.
After months out ot the spotlight, the 64-year-old recently announced his plans for a new newsletter, in order to make a “positive contribution” around mental health, and has now published his first piece of work.
In the poem, titled “Knowing me, knowing you, ahaa”, he appeared to open up about hidden battles, judgement, shame and grieving his late father – Hywel Teifi Edwards – 16 years on from his death in 2010.
“For the first time in my life, I have attempted to write a poem,” he said in an introduction. “I hope readers find it illuminating. One of the most distressing episodes in 2024 was seeing the nature of my relationship with my father wilfully misrepresented by the media, and by Welsh-speaking journalists in particular.”
Throughout the poem, Edwards describes a son as accursed, defenceless, rejected, blighted and finally penitent. He also discussed how complex people can be, and that their struggles aren’t always evident.
He penned: “Love exerts its cruel price, the silent ire between father and son; the hint of a smile, the shadow of a frown – a countenance inscrutable, with cunning eyes.
“Blighted son crippled by regret reaching out to touch the truth; waiting quietly for the comfort of forgiveness – but ocean and land are dead and silent.
“In your torment you were heroic, in your anguish you voiced no cry; in your death you opened your heart – I knew you, you knew me.”
The poem, which has received 30 likes and eight reposts at the time of writing, concluded: “Penitent son, self-destructive to the last, clutching for truth in the story; crying out for strength and embrace of love – but ocean and land are dead and silent.”
Edwards said the work was ‘above all a personal tribute to my late father, Hywel Teifi Edwards, the pre-eminent Eisteddfod historian and an authority on the cultural condition of Victorian Wales.’
He had been one of the BBC’s highest-paid and most notable newsreaders before he was axed two years ago after he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children.
He admitted to possessing 41 indecent images of children. Seven of those images were classed as the most serious category A abuse, while two of the images were of victims aged seven to nine years old.
In June, he announced his decision to launch a Substack with hopes to rebuild “some kind of worthwhile life” – a move many branded “disgraceful”.
“There will be some who do not wish to read my work, and I respect that choice,” he said at the time. “But for those who might be interested, I would like to start tentatively by offering some commentary and analysis based on my long experience.
“I would like to offer thoughts on matters of national and local interest. These include the state of our politics, the media, journalism, and culture. But in light of my recent experiences, I would also like to talk about the criminal justice system: the courts, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Probation Service.
“I am also ready to be unflinchingly honest about the reality of long-term mental illness, and the continued failure to recognise its devastating effects on affected individuals, their families and friends. If my posts help others facing similar challenges, so much the better.”
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