Martin Clunes transforms into Huw Edwards in a new first look trailer for Channel 5’s scandalous drama about the former broadcaster. 

The two-part series, which is under the working title of Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, will follow the real-life story of how the BBC news presenter became the centre of a grooming scandal.

Edwards, who presented the BBC’s News at Ten for decades and broke some of the biggest stories including the death of Queen Elizabeth II, plead guilty to making indecent images of children in July 2024. 

Doc Martin actor Martin, 64, will play the Welsh anchorman in the series, with the action showcasing how the former BBC stalwart led a double life. 

Edwards, who earned £475,000 a year at the corporation, secretly groomed a vulnerable 17-year-old boy while working as Britain’s most respected newsreader.

Edwards, 64, was suspended by the BBC in July 2023 and was later convicted of making indecent images of children for which he received a six-month suspended sentence in September 2024.

Martin Clunes has transformed into Huw Edwards in a new first look trailer for Channel 5’s scandalous drama about the former broadcaster

The drama will focus on how the former BBC stalwart, who earned £475,000 a year at the corporation, led a double life as he secretly groomed a vulnerable 17-year-old boy

Channel 5 teased of the series: ‘The drama explores the story of how a vulnerable 17-year-old was groomed by one of the most powerful figures in television – Huw Edwards. 

‘Starring Martin Clunes as Edwards, the series explores the newsreader’s double life as it spirals out of control, leading him to make the greatest announcement of his career – his total exit from public life following his conviction for serious child sexual offences.

‘Edwards had a secret. Online, he was repeatedly soliciting explicit sexual photos from young men, and in particular grooming a vulnerable 17-year-old. 

‘He had also struck up a separate online friendship with a man who, from December 2020 to August 2021, repeatedly sent him messages containing child abuse imagery which he accessed, including so called ‘Category A’ images – the most extreme.’

A first look at the programme, which is directed by BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning Michael Samuels, sees Martin transformed into Edwards.  

Seen putting in an earpiece as he prepares for broadcast in a TV studio, the Doc Martin actor stares down the lens of the camera in the ten-second clip.

‘Martin Clunes stars as in Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, coming soon to 5,’ a voiceover rings out over the dramatic shot. 

It comes after a former BBC boss has issued Channel 5 a stern warning, speculating that their new drama about Huw Edwards ‘will rapidly run into legal problems’.

Roger Mosey, who previously headed up BBC TV News, admitted he felt the series was ‘very risky’ – instead noting a ‘documentary approach’ would have been safer.

Doc Martin actor Martin, 64, will play the Welsh anchorman in the series, with the action showcasing how the former BBC stalwart led a double life

A first look at the programme, which is directed by BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning Michael Samuels, sees Martin transformed into Edwards

Speaking on Times Radio, Roger, 68, who left the broadcaster in 2013 to become Master of Cambridge’s Selwyn College, told radio hosts Jane Garvey and Fi Glover that a drama would not have been his ‘preferred route’ of looking at the case. 

He said: ‘Dramas involving living people are always very risky. A documentary approach seems to me to be completely legitimate and right and you should have the right to investigate

‘But as we saw, you remember Steve Coogan’s film made about Richard III… once you start doing a narrative in a movie of good guys and bad guys and who did it, you can run into legal problems really very, very rapidly. 

‘Drama would not be my preferred route of looking at this.’

One BBC insider said: ‘The timing couldn’t be worse for the BBC. After all the recent scandals, the last thing the corporation needs is a new drama about the darkest chapter in our history. Everyone wants to forget about that awful man and move on.’

Outgoing BBC director-general Tim Davie, who resigned in November after the fallout over doctored Panorama footage of Donald Trump, has previously described Edwards’s crimes as ‘appalling’.

The corporation apologised for its handling of the initial grooming complaint in 2023 which was not ‘escalated quickly enough’.

The Daily Mail understands that no BBC executives will be shown on screen in the drama, and it will instead focus on the grooming and Edward’s online friendship with a paedophile who shared child abuse images with him.

In a release for the drama, Channel 5 said: ‘Building on extensive factual research over the past 12 months, including extensive first hand interviews and co-operation from those at the heart of the scandal and exclusive access to The Sun newspaper’s award-winning investigation into Edwards…

Edwards, 64, was suspended by the BBC in July 2023 and was later convicted of making indecent images of children for which he received a six-month suspended sentence in September 2024

‘This unflinching drama paints a complex, emotional and nuanced portrait, revealing how the grooming of a vulnerable 17-year old over many months led to Edwards’ downfall, disgrace and the end of his life in the public eye.’ 

Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer, 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, 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. 

‘Drama is also a medium with the power to uncover profound psychological truths, and we are incredibly grateful to our brave contributors in trusting us with their story.’

It comes as the US president is suing the corporation for $10 billion dollars over the doctored Panorama footage.

The government is also preparing to publish its whitepaper in the Spring about the future of the BBC licence fee.

Meanwhile, Steve Coogan insisted his film about the discovery of the remains of Richard III was ‘the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did’ after he lost a High Court defamation battle to a university academic.

Steve Coogan’s film focuses on the role of amateur historian Philippa Langley who led the search to find Richard III’s skeleton

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Steve Coogan insists he is ‘happy’ he made Richard III movie after losing defamation battle

Coogan and two production companies have been ordered to pay ‘substantial’ damages to academic Richard Taylor after a court ruled he was defamed in his film, The Lost King.

Mr Taylor, formerly deputy registrar of the University of Leicester, has successfully sued Coogan, who was a writer and producer of the 2022 film, and he is understood to have been awarded a six-figure sum.

The film centres on the role of amateur historian Philipa Langley who led the search to find the Plantagenet king’s skeleton. The lost remains of Richard III were found in a Leicester car park in 2012, more than 500 years after his death. 

However Mr Taylor claimed the film made him appear ‘weasel-like’ and ‘misogynistic’.

Ms Langley had said she had intended to appear as a witness for Coogan, but was unable to do so due to ill health, adding: ‘It has been the most significant honour to have my story told by Pathe, Baby Cow and Steve Coogan.’

And in a statement after the ruling, Coogan said: ‘Further to Philippa’s own statement, it is unfortunate that due to her ill health, we were unable to put evidence before the court so that the judge could independently come to a decision on the matter, which I would have preferred.

‘Philippa Langley instigated the search for Richard III. Philippa Langley insisted on the dig in the northern area of the social services car park where the remains were found. Philippa Langley raised the majority of the money for his exhumation.

‘If it wasn’t for Philippa Langley, Richard III would still be lying under a car park in Leicester. It is her name that will be remembered in relation to the discovery of the lost king, long after Richard Taylor has faded into obscurity.

‘As already stated, the only changes to the film will be a front card, which will follow the existing card, which says that this film is a true story, Philippa Langley’s story. That is the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did.’