The BBC racked up an almost £5million bill looking into the Huw Edwards and Tim Westwood scandals, it has been revealed.
Investigations carried out by the broadcaster in relation to the disgraced news presenter cost more than £1.3million while £3.3million was spent on DJ Westwood.
External legal fees made up £340,843 of the expenditure for Edwards and a review of complaints policies by consultants Deloitte came to £958,133.
Another £70,000 was paid for ‘additional resources’ from the BBC corporate investigations team.
Last year, Edwards, 63, was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after he admitted to having indecent images of children.
The total bill for the BBC inquiry emerged on Sunday in a Freedom of Information response published by the Financial Times.
Westwood continues to deny allegations of bullying and misogyny after the Met Police investigated ‘non-recent sexual offences’ which dated between 1982 and 2016 and are all alleged to have happened in London.
The BBC released its £3.3million report last month on an investigation into his behaviour.
Last year, Edwards, 63, was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after he admitted to having indecent images of children
In his heyday, Tim Westwood took to the decks at several huge events up and down the country, touring universities and other institutions
The total bill for the BBC inquiry into Edwards emerged on Sunday via a Freedom of Information response (file image)
Last week, chairman Samir Shah said the BBC had not been able to recover any salary as yet from Edwards and described the situation as ‘quite frustrating’.
After his guilty plea in July, Edwards BBC asked him to return his salary, which he was paid during the period following his arrest in November 2023 until he resigned in April 2024.
Asked if they have been able to recover any salary from Edwards during the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday, Dr Shah said: ‘We have not… We’ve obviously asked, and we’ve said it many times, but he seems unwilling.
‘There was a moment that we thought that he might just do the right thing for a change, then he decided not to.’
He added: ‘It’s quite frustrating this, really, because I think he should have done it. He could still do it.
‘It’s not right. He’s taken licence fee payers’ money and he knew what he’d done and he should return it now.’
Speaking to The Sun, a victim of Edwards accused the BBC of failing to respond to him in light of Sunday’s expenditure revelation.
The young TV producer was contacted by Edwards in early 2021.
Huw Edwards leaves Westminster Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent pictures of children in July 2024
A younger Huw Edwards on the set of the BBC Ten o’ Clock News
Last week, chairman Samir Shah (pictured) said the BBC had not been able to recover any salary as yet from Edwards and described the situation as ‘quite frustrating’
Edwards later sent inappropriate messages, including an invitation to a Windsor hotel while he was fronting Prince Philip’s funeral coverage.
The victim contacted the BBC and was interviewed as part of its internal investigation into the Edwards scandal in August 2023.
He said: ‘How can they spend all that money and not have any answers for people like me?
‘I have not heard anything further about the findings of the BBC investigation and not even had a check-up call or anything.’
The bill for the Edwards inquiry is the equivalent of 8,076 licence fees at £169.50 each.
In response to details of the FOI, a BBC spokesman said: ‘Wherever possible we aim to resolve matters without external support, and the decision to commission any review or work by a third party is taken with careful consideration, based on the specific circumstances in each case.
‘We only incur external legal costs when absolutely necessary.’
In 2013 the corporation spent more than £5million on three inquiries linked to the Jimmy Saville scandal.