Martin Clunes Opens Up About the Complexities of Playing Huw Edwards on Screen

Martin Clunes on the Challenge of Portraying Huw Edwards

Well-known British actor Martin Clunes has spoken candidly about the difficulties involved in taking on one of the most controversial roles of his career — playing disgraced former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards in a brand-new Channel 5 drama.

Edwards, once among the most recognisable faces in British broadcast journalism, spent four decades delivering major news events to millions of viewers before being convicted of making indecent images of children. The high-profile fall from grace left the public stunned and raised serious questions about power, trust, and exploitation.

A Role That Required Careful Consideration

Clunes, best known for his roles in Doc Martin and Men Behaving Badly, was quick to acknowledge the weight of stepping into such a charged portrayal. He stressed that he believes actors should never fall into the trap of passing judgement on the characters they bring to life.

Despite maintaining that professional boundary, Clunes admitted that conversations with people who had worked alongside Edwards painted a revealing picture. More than one former colleague told him that Edwards "was never fun to work with" — a detail that added texture to his understanding of the man behind the news desk.

The Drama Behind the Headlines

The Channel 5 production, titled Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, takes a broader look at the scandal by placing the spotlight not just on Edwards himself, but on the young vulnerable victim at the centre of the case, referred to as "Ryan" — not his real name — portrayed by Welsh actor Osian Morgan.

"Beyond the salacious curiosity around this story, I really thought there was another story worth telling," Clunes explained. "That of 'Ryan' and his family. The press has naturally focused on the fallen public figure, which is understandable — but behind that, there's a young lad and his family whose lives were completely turned upside down."

Clunes also admitted he had been largely unaware of the kind of online exploitation depicted in the drama. "I'm not on any social media and I had no idea that this sort of thing went on," he said.

How the Scandal Unfolded

The story first broke in July 2023 when a national newspaper reported that a senior BBC presenter had paid a teenager for explicit images. Within days, Edwards' wife publicly identified him as the individual at the heart of the allegations.

He subsequently resigned from the BBC in April 2024, and following a Metropolitan Police investigation, was formally charged in June of the same year. By September 2024, Edwards had pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and received a six-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Clunes recalled his initial reaction when Edwards was named. "You felt sympathy for him at first — it seemed like someone in the public eye was simply being targeted by the tabloids," he said. "But then messages were found on his phone, and everything changed completely."

Deep Research and Physical Transformation

To prepare for the role, Clunes undertook an extensive research process, immersing himself in archive footage of Edwards both on and off camera. He was determined not to rely solely on the polished, authoritative image Edwards projected behind the news desk.

"I've seen other actors make the mistake of simply imitating the public face of a famous person," Clunes noted. "We needed to find the other side of him too — and tracking down archive material of Edwards outside of his news presenting work took real effort."

The physical transformation was equally significant. With the assistance of hair and makeup professionals, Clunes was moulded into a convincing likeness of Edwards — newly released production images show him seated behind a news desk in a pose unmistakably reminiscent of the former presenter.

"I've always been a character actor. I enjoy submerging myself into someone else entirely," he said. "Once hair and makeup are done, you really don't feel like yourself anymore."

Emotionally Demanding Scenes

The drama features several scenes in which Edwards exchanges messages with his victim, Ryan. Rather than filming these exchanges separately, Clunes and Morgan chose to be physically present with one another during shooting — a decision Clunes says made a meaningful difference.

"A lot of our scenes are essentially isolated exchanges over phone calls," Clunes explained. "We decided it was better to both be in the room together for those moments. I didn't feel very good at the end of those scenes, so it was genuinely helpful to have Osian there to talk to afterwards."

Bridgend-born Edwards had been one of the BBC's highest-paid newsreaders and played a prominent role in covering landmark moments in British history, including the death of Queen Elizabeth II and numerous general elections — making his subsequent downfall all the more striking.

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards is set to air on Channel 5 as a feature-length drama.