Huw Edwards, the former BBC news presenter once widely recognized as the face of the broadcaster’s flagship News At Ten, appears to be preparing for a tentative return to public life more than a year after his career was derailed by a criminal conviction. Edwards, 64, pleaded guilty last July at Westminster Magistrates Court to making indecent images of children, including seven category A images, the most serious classification, involving a child as young as seven.

Following the conviction, Edwards was dismissed by the BBC and ordered to repay £200,000 in salary earned between his arrest and dismissal, a sum he has yet to pay. Despite the severity of the case, the former presenter has quietly re-engaged with social media, reactivating his Instagram account—previously a platform through which he shared broadcasting work and communicated with colleagues—and recently creating a new Facebook profile. His Instagram remains largely inactive since July 2023, but his Facebook presence has attracted substantial support from a network of former colleagues and others.

Among those expressing backing are several ex-BBC staff, including Mike Longley, a former BBC Wales presenter and head of music, who criticized the corporation’s handling of Edwards’s case. Others offering messages of encouragement on Facebook include Ben Bawden, a former BBC programme director, Ben Ando, a former BBC crime and general news correspondent, and Wyn Thomas, former broadcaster with BBC Radio Wales. Local politicians have also voiced their support, with Plaid Cymru councillor Terry Davies and Labour councillor Chris Bissex-Foster among those sending goodwill messages.

Some posts on Edwards’s newly active Facebook profile, which features him using a Welsh red dragon as a profile image, indicate a private setting but many supportive comments remain visible publicly. A photograph shared on the profile shows Edwards with his mother, Aerona Prothero, in an informal moment holding champagne flutes together, a picture commented on warmly by friends.

Edwards’s wife of 30 years, Vicky Flind, reportedly filed for divorce following the revelations but acknowledged him as the individual involved in the accusations to protect the family’s wellbeing. Edwards was last seen publicly in August on a supermarket trip in Swansea shortly before his birthday.

The BBC has not reinstated Edwards in any capacity and remains under scrutiny for his high salary, which reportedly ranged between £475,000 and £479,999 in his final year with the organization. Insiders note the ongoing discomfort within the corporation regarding Edwards’s social media activity and public backing, fearing potential reputational damage. While Edwards has not reactivated his former X (previously Twitter) account, which had more than 187,000 followers, his recent moves suggest a degree of personal rehabilitation and an attempt to reconnect with his professional community.