Disgraced BBC newsreader Huw Edwards has turned to poetry to tell the story he says others got wrong.In his first published poem, written for the 2026 National Eisteddfod’s prestigious Crown competition, the former presenter lays bare his grief for his late father, the celebrated academic Hywel Teifi Edwards, while reflecting on identity and public scrutiny following his spectacular fall from grace.Edwards, 64, who was convicted of making indecent images of children in 2024, uploaded his poem to his Substack despite calls for it to be removed.In an introduction accompanying the poem, Edwards says it was inspired by this year’s competition theme, Adnabod (Knowing), and describes it as ‘above all a personal tribute’ to his father.However, he also makes a direct reference to the intense public scrutiny that followed his departure from the BBC, writing that one of the most distressing episodes of 2024 was seeing his relationship with his father ‘willfully misrepresented by the media’.The poem, originally written in Welsh, opens with the striking words ‘A wayward son / in the torment of his hell’ – presenting himself as a troubled figure, burdened by pain. Disgraced BBC newsreader Huw Edwards reflects on shame, identity and his relationship with his late father in his first published poemThroughout the work, Edwards changes identity several times. He begins as the ‘wayward son’, later becomes the ‘defenceless son’, then the ‘accursed son’, before ending as the ‘repentant’ and ‘self-destructive’ child seeking forgiveness. Throughout it, Edwards repeatedly returns to the idea that people are complex, that struggles are often hidden, and that judgment can come more easily than understanding.One line reads: ‘If we could know the truth of our dark condition…’Another says: ‘Was it fair to judge the emptiness of others without admitting one’s own wretched deceit?’Edwards previously told the Daily Mail in an exclusive statement that he plans to tell his side of the story, including his deteriorating mental health struggles.He said: ‘I have been open about my struggle with persistent mental illness over a period of 25 years. What is less well known is the severity of that condition, which was managed successfully until the downward spiral which led to an appalling outcome.’Mental illness is misunderstood by many but can never be an excuse for criminality.’It can, however, at least help explain why people sometimes behave in shocking and reprehensible ways, and why things fell apart for me in the way they did.’The final line reads, ‘In your death you opened your heart – I knew you, you knew me.’It suggests that personal reconciliation with his father, who passed away in January 2010, matters more to Edwards than his public reputation.The poem offers a rare insight into the thoughts of Edwards who has cowered away from the glare of the public eye since his scandal came to light. In his first published poem, written for the 2026 National Eisteddfod’s prestigious Crown competition, the former presenter lays bare his grief for his late father, the celebrated academic Hywel Teifi Edwards (left)Edwards was given his six-month suspended jail sentence following a year of headlines, which began when he was named as the presenter at the heart of a scandal over payments to a young person for sexually explicit images.His downfall was swift, and cemented in July 2024, when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to receiving 41 indecent images of children, which included two sexual videos of a boy under nine, from paedophile Alex Williams.These included both still and moving images, and were made up of seven of the most serious classification, Category A, 12 of Category B and 22 Category C.Edwards has refused to hand back £200,000 in salary he was paid by the BBC between his arrest in November 2023 and his resignation in April 2024.He separated from his TV-producer wife of 30 years, Vicky Flind, and he moved back to Wales to live an isolated existence with his elderly mother.In recent weeks, Edwards launched his Substack in his first public move since being taken off-air three years ago.Titled ‘Croeso. Fáilte. Bienvenue. Welcome’ (The same word in Welsh, Irish, French and English) and with the subheading ‘A first step…’ the first post sees the disgraced journalist promising the world a ‘Relaunch’Edwards, in his own words, plans to ‘offer thoughts on matters of national and local interest’ as someone with ‘four decades years [sic] in broadcast journalism’.’In light of my recent experiences,’ the convicted paedophile continued, ‘I would also like to talk about the criminal justice system: the courts, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Probation Service. I am also ready to be unflinchingly honest about the reality of long-term mental illness, and the continued failure to recognise its devastating effects on affected individuals, their families, and friends. If my posts help others facing similar challenges, so much the better.’He continued: ‘There will be those who do not wish to read my work, and I respect that choice. But for those who might be interested, I would like to start tentatively by offering some commentary and analysis based on my long experience.’Accompanied by a black-and-white picture of himself looking considerably older than his age, he rounded off the essay with the promise: ‘I will try to post once a week. There are no plans for paid subscriptions. Thank you for even considering reading my work.’