It comes after The Telegraph revealed whistleblowers expressed disappointment that an internal inquiry into Edwards had not been made public.
One anonymous insider said they told the BBC’s internal inquiry that they had received flirtatious messages from Edwards, which they found inappropriate, and had never “heard anything of substance about how the investigation went”.
Another whistleblower said they had raised concerns about Edwards being “pushy” in trying to arrange a meeting and inviting them to share a hotel suite while covering Prince Philip’s funeral. This insider told the BBC that they felt “things have been swept under the carpet”.
Before Edwards resigned, he was the broadcaster’s highest-paid newsreader, earning between £475,000 and £479,999 for the year 2023/24, according to the BBC’s latest annual report.
Not a good use of taxpayers’ money
On Friday, Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, urged the disgraced newsreader to “return his salary” and asked the BBC to look into whether it can recoup an estimated £200,000, which Edwards earned during the period from his arrest until his resignation.
Ms Nandy said that she has asked to see the employment law advice given to the BBC, and called on Tim Davie, the corporation’s director-general, to address “outstanding issues” and report back to her next week.
The minister also told Sky News: “I think he ought to return his salary. I think having been arrested on such serious charges all the way back in November, to continue to receive that salary all the way through until he resigned is wrong and it’s not a good use of taxpayers’ money.
“I think most people in the country will agree with that but whether he does that or not is up to him.” She added: “I’ve asked the BBC to look at what’s possible.”
