Martin Clunes to lead 5's new drama Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards

The two-part drama will see Martin Clunes star as the disgraced BBC News presenter.

5 has today announced Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards (working title), a new two-part factual drama exploring the story of how a vulnerable 17-year-old was groomed by one of the most powerful figures in television, Huw Edwards.

It'll explore 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.

In September 2022, Huw Edwards was one of Britain’s most-trusted newsreaders, chosen to deliver the most important news to the British public. To an audience of millions across the country, he made the historic declaration that Queen Elizabeth II had died.

But 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.

In July 2023, Edward’s secrets started to unravel rapidly after a national newspaper reported that “a top BBC star” had paid a “teenager for sexual pictures”.

Separately, the police started to investigate Edwards’ online activity, leading him to plead guilty to making indecent images of children at Westminster Magistrates Court.

A year in the making, Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards is the first collaboration between 5’s factual and scripted commissioning teams.

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, this unflinching drama promises to paint 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.

Speaking about the drama, 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."

To which David Abraham, Founder and Group CEO, Wonderhood Studios, added "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."

Made by Wonderhood Studios, Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards has been written by Mark Burt, co-produced by Krempelwood, directed by Michael Samuels and produced by Angie Daniel, with Jenny Duffy as casting director.

The factual producer is Louise Kentleton and director of production is Lianne Hickey with Samantha Anstiss and Tom Garton as executive producers.

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards will air on 5