Shamed BBC star Huw Edwards spent more than £200,000 on legal fees, experts suggest as corporation battles to recover salary he was paid after his arrest

Shamed BBC News presenter Huw Edwards spent an estimated £200,000 on legal fees, according to a legal costs expert.

The former newsreader, 63, avoided jail on Monday after being given a suspended six-month prison sentence, after he admitted to having 41 indecent images of children. 

The vile picture collection included seven category A images, the most serious classification, with two involving a child aged around seven to nine.

Edwards, who commissioned BCL Solicitors to work on his criminal defence, is estimated to have spent £600 an hour for his barrister plus an extra £6,000 a day in court, legal costs expert Paul Fulcher told MailOnline. 

Fulcher, head of costs and at KWLC Legal Costs Experts, added that Edwards legal fees over the duration of the case could total more than £200,000. 

Shamed BBC News presenter Huw Edwards spent an estimated £200,000 on legal fees, according to a legal costs expert 

The former newsreader, 63, avoided jail on Monday after being given a suspended six-month prison sentence, after he admitted to having 41 indecent images of children 

Edwards, who commissioned BCL Solicitors to work on his criminal defence, is estimated to have spent £600 an hour for his barrister plus an extra £6,000 a day in court, legal costs expert Paul Fulcher told MailOnline

It comes as the BBC battles to recover the salary Edwards was paid for months after he was arrested. 

BBC boss Tim Davie defended the decision to continue paying him but confirmed the shamed presenter will not work for the broadcaster again following his ‘appalling’ child-abuse crimes.

Mr Davie claimed the reason Edwards was not sacked upon being arrested was due to BBC guidelines.

We wrestled with this - it was an extremely tough decision, he said. We decided that, you know, pay continues until somebodys charged. No one knew that gap was going to be so long.

He added it was the right decision but said the organisation would continue to pursue Edwards to pay back the money paid while he was suspended.

Mr Davie was immediately asked about the Edwards affair during his 25-minute discussion with BBC journalist Amol Rajan at the Royal Television Society (RTS) London conference.

Wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt and trainers, he said: ‘Theres no doubt that an affair like this impacts our reputation. I think people are smart, and theyll make their judgments.

‘I think, overall, theres no doubt about that - these things impact your reputation, but you can maintain trust by doing the right thing.’

Asked if Edwards would work for the BBC again, Mr Davie said: ‘I cant see that… for obvious reasons.’

Pushed to expand, he added: ‘This man has just been convicted of appalling crimes. Its pretty straightforward in my mind - it’s not a difficult question.’

Mr Davie said: ‘The secret life this guy was leading was shocking.’

Huw Edwards commissioned BCL Solicitors to work on his criminal defence. He arrived at court on Monday with the law firms partner Ellen Peart (right)

It was the smooth and unflappable defence barrister Philip Evans KC from the QEB Hollis Whiteman chambers who put Edwards defence to magistrates

Westminster Magistrates Court heard on Monday how Huw Edwards had replied yes xxx when asked if he wanted a set of indecent images of children (note: This is not the actual text message exchange) 

It was also told that Edwards had told Williams that ages can be deceptive when told one of the subjects in an image was quite yng looking, before asking if he had any more? (note: This is not the actual text message exchange)

Edwards - who announced Queen Elizabeths death to the nation two years ago - gave up to £1,500 to convicted paedophile Alex Williams who sent him dozens of awful images.

The BBC said in a statement that Edwards had betrayed not just the corporation but millions of viewers who had put their trust in him.

Edwards offending came to light after South Wales police seized Williams phone and discovered his WhatsApp conversations with the former BBC anchorman.

He was arrested on November 8 last year. The investigation was unrelated to allegations reported in July 2023 that Edwards had paid a teenager more than £35,000 for sexual images.

Edwards told Williams go on when asked if he wanted naughty pics and vids of somebody described as young.

The former newsreader also wrote yes xxx when he was asked by the convicted paedophile if he wanted sexual images of a person whose age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16.

He was also sent two pornographic videos of a child aged between seven and nine-years-old.

Court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of former BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court

Edwards made his way through the media melee before being driven away in a black Mercedes when at court on July 31

Edwards was ordered to pay £3,000 in prosecution costs. It remains unclear whether he will have to pay back the £200,000 he was paid by the BBC between his arrest and his resignation in April.

Corporation director general Mr Davie confirmed that a formal request for the money to be returned has been made to Edwards, who was in a pay bracket of between £475,000 and £479,999 for 2023/24.

Mr Davie told the conference: ‘We want the money back and weve asked for it back, and were waiting to hear back.

‘There are discussions between the legal teams.’

Edwards has so far refused and will also keep his pension.

Mr Davie said that victims families are the ‘primary concern’ and said that young people who raised concerns over Edwards were ‘taken seriously’ at the time allegations were made.

He said: ‘Were just shocked, and theres a lot of upset because across the BBC, weve got great teams, good people and they feel deeply, deeply let down.’