Huw Edwards, a former BBC presenter convicted in 2024 for possessing child abuse images and videos, has drawn criticism after submitting a poem to Wales’s National Eisteddfod under a pseudonym. Using the name Y Gelyn, which translates to The Enemy, Edwards entered the contest for the event’s prestigious Crown prize but did not win.

The poem, a tribute to his late father, reportedly included references to a "wayward son" and “our dark condition,” themes linked to Edwards’s own acknowledged struggles. Edwards received a six-month suspended sentence and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for seven years following his conviction related to 41 illegal images involving boys as young as seven. At that time, it was reported Edwards regarded his troubled relationship with his father as a source of mental anguish.

The National Eisteddfod, Wales’s largest cultural festival, confirmed that all contest entries are submitted anonymously and that neither the judges nor organizers are aware of the identities of participants prior to judging.

Public response to Edwards’s participation was strongly negative. Actress Sera Cracroft, who has publicly shared her experience as a survivor of child abuse, expressed disappointment, stating that it was premature for Edwards to seek any form of redemption so soon after his conviction. She added that it would have been “catastrophic” if Edwards had won the prize, which carries a £750 award.

A victim who reported receiving inappropriate messages from Edwards while working at the BBC condemned his decision to enter the contest, questioning his sense of shame and suggesting he should withdraw from the public eye entirely.

Sarah Pochin, a Reform UK member of parliament, also criticized Edwards’s submission, describing it as a display of “gross insensitivity” and a lack of self-awareness. She suggested that rather than attempting to revive his career, Edwards should focus on reflecting on the severity of his offenses.

The controversy highlights the ongoing public sensitivity surrounding Edwards’s actions and the challenges faced by cultural institutions when dealing with submissions from individuals with criminal pasts.