Grooming scandal around BBC presenter Huw Edwards to be subject of 5 drama

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards was produced after months of research into the scandal

Paramount-owned 5 in the UK has commissioned a two-part fact-based drama series about disgraced BBC News presenter Huw Edwards.

Produced by Wonderhood Studios (The Trial of Michael Jackson), Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards (working title) stars Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) as the Welsh broadcaster, who fronted BBC News at Ten from 2003 to 2023.

The drama unpacks Edwards’ fall from grace after he was suspended by the BBC following allegations of sexual misconduct. He subsequently pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and was handed a six-month suspended jail sentence in September of 2024.

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards was made following 12 months of research into the grooming scandal, including first-hand interviews with many of those directly involved.

The series is directed by Michael Samuels (Any Human Heart) and written by Mark Burt (The Trial). The executive producers are Samantha Anstiss and Tom Garton.

Ben Frow, chief content officer at 5, said: “This is an important and shocking story of how a man in a position of power and trust betrayed that status.

“By gaining exclusive access to the key individuals involved and those who investigated the story, we explore the human cost behind the headlines. As a close collaboration between 5’s factual and scripted teams, this is a first for the channel.”

David Abraham, founder and group CEO of Wonderhood Studios, said: “This project marks Wonderhood’s first step into drama and builds on our record in producing premium documentaries about challenging subjects that matter.”