How Huw ‘pockets up to £400,000 extra’
HUW Edwards has raked in an estimated £400,000 in speaking fees in the last five years.
The News at Ten anchor has fronted at least 16 events since the start of 2014, and commands fees of up to £25,000 a time.
Some of the events are so dull that audiences could be baffled at why Mr Edwards would want to take the work, when he is already paid up to £495,000 a year from licence fee funds.
He is also thought to have hosted numerous other events over that period – but the BBC does not make the engagements public or keep a central register so the extent of his moonlighting work is unknown.
However it lays bare the scale of the lucrative sideline enjoyed by many BBC presenters. Yesterday, insiders at the corporation said that speaking work is such easy money, it can become addictive.
One broadcaster – a household name who has also earned huge sums from public speaking – said the amount of cash on offer for so little effort is too tempting to turn down. He described how writing an article for a national newspaper required a ‘huge’ amount of work, and leaves presenters exposed to criticism if they make a mistake.
By contrast, he said that BBC hosts can ‘wheel out the same jokes they have told a thousand times before’ to a conference audience that is unlikely to criticise because they are dazzled by the speaker’s star power. ‘Obviously we are all as venal as anyone else so that is appealing,’ he said.
Mr Edwards does not tend to accept money from firms that could be a conflict of interest. He also undertakes charity events for free. However, he has fronted a series of events for railway firms, regional law societies and insurance brokers. The Mail has previously revealed that he has hosted the Concrete Society Awards.
This year alone, he has hosted the National Rail Awards in London. He has also fronted events for the Birmingham Law Society, the Women’s Institute and Thames Valley Business Magazine.
He also hosted the British Insurance Brokers Association conference where Boris Johnson revealed his ambition to be Prime Minister. Mr Edwards announced the ‘scoop’ on his Instagram account, raising questions over the way public figures could exploit BBC journalists thirsty for speaking fees to make announcements.
According to JLA, one of the speakers’ agencies which has him on their books, he charges between £10,000 and £25,000.
Yesterday, Mr Edwards said that his speaking fees ‘vary enormously’ and that he does not accept fees for charity events. He added: ‘Like broadcasters from other organisations, I am always happy to host events celebrating the best of British.’
The BBC said that none of the events broke its impartiality rules, and that BBC staff are allowed to undertake outside engagements as long as they maintain objectivity and impartiality.