Huw Edwards has been criticised for entering a Welsh poetry competition under a pseudonym, despite being on the sex offenders’ register.
The disgraced presenter, who pleaded guilty in 2024 to receiving and making indecent images of children, submitted a verse poem to the National Eisteddfod, which takes place in Wales this week.
Rather than using his own name, Edwards, 64, sent the poem to the literary competition under the name “Y Gelyn”, which means “the enemy” in Welsh.
The 2026 competition received 41 entries, with former journalist Martin Huws winning the Crown with Fan-go, a collection described by judge Damian Walford Davies as addressing “a harrowing and timeless subject, namely abuse and violation”.
A spokesperson for the Eisteddfod, which is Wales’s biggest festival, told The Daily Telegraph: “We have a process to make sure nobody, including the judges, know beforehand who is competing.
“After each Eisteddfod we have a period of reflection to ensure the processes are still relevant. This year will be no different.”
At the height of his fame Britain’s best paid newsreader, Edwards suffered a significant fall from grace in 2023 when he was suspended by the BBC following allegations of sexual misconduct.
The following year, he pleaded guilty to three counts of receiving and making indecent images of children in 2024. He was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years, and added to the sex offenders’ register, which he will remain on for seven years.
Following his conviction, the Eisteddfod’s board of trustees unanimously voted to terminate Edwards’ membership.
His decision to enter the competition was criticised by Sera Cracroft, a Welsh actress who was sexually assaulted as a child and called his decision ”shocking”.
“Abuse moves quickly to something digital very quickly, and I don’t think Huw realises how horrific the fact he’s attempted to win the crown really is. Had he won, the image of him getting crowned in front of the country would’ve hurt a lot of survivors,” she told The Telegraph.
“There would be a way that, if he was more unpretentious, he could’ve tried to help in some way or help teach more about the crimes he’s been found guilty of.”
In response, Edwards told the publication that he had not expected to win the competition and had entered in tribute to his father, a Welsh language activist.
“It wasn’t a piece for the nauseating, self-righteous Welsh-speaking population – including Sera – who take advantage of any opportunity to mouth off without thinking on any subject under the sun,” he said.
“She and her like are far too ready to ignore the damaging effects of mental health. In this respect, they adhere to the traditions of London’s tabloids.”
