Huw Edwards has been stripped of his honorary role as a druid.
The disgraced BBC presenter pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children last month and will be sentenced in September. As a result, he has left the public eye, leaving the BBC earlier this year.
Edwards, who had been a stalwart of BBC News – leading election night coverage and reporting the death of Queen Elizabeth II – went off-air last July. It was later discovered he had paid a teenager for explicit images, and was suspended by the BBC – despite receiving a net increase in his salary during this time.
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Following his conviction, a number of organisations that had paired with the newsreader have distanced themselves from him. Now, one of the most prestigious groups in Wales has cut ties with the former BBC titan.
(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The Eisteddfod is a membership-based druid society in Wales, maintaining the local traditions of the area across the country. Huw, a Welsh speaker, was given the honorary title of a druid during his career and was proud to don his blue cloak for the annual festival.
But as of Wednesday (August 7), Edward’s membership of the community has been terminated, and he has been stripped of his druidic role. As well as this, Huw has also been banned from the Welsh language society Gorsedd Cymru – which is seen as one of the highest accolades in Wales.
Before being stripped of his Welsh titles, former presenter Huw had already lost his tenure as vice-president of the National Churches Trust. Meanwhile, the honorary degrees being given to Huw by both Bangor and Cardiff Universities are being reviewed.
(Image: PA)
It comes after Huw pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children, with one victim being as young as seven years old. Since then, Welsh society has turned its back on Huw, with a plaque commemorating him being removed from Cardiff Castle, as well as a mural of the newsreader being painted over in his hometown of Llangennech in Carmarthenshire.
Earlier this week, The Sun spoke to the stepfather of the teenager who Huw paid £35k to in return for explicit images. In the explosive interview, he revealed there had been a tense moment after he confronted Huw on his actions while at a train station.
(Image: PA)
The stepdad admitted he had raced to the station after being told by the child’s mum that Edwards was having secret meet-ups with him. She raised the alarm after discovering texts from Edwards demanding that the boy sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Speaking to the newspaper, the boy’s stepdad said he was “so angry”, he wanted to take the ex-newsreader on himself and tell him to stop. “I didn’t even care if I got arrested,” the stepfather added. “I wanted everyone to know what was happening.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
