BBC Pulls 2006 Physician Who Episode That includes Disgraced Information Broadcaster From Streaming

The BBC has pulled the 2006 Doctor Who episode “Fear Her” from streaming on its iPlayer platform, after one in every of its visitor stars, former BBC information anchor Huw Edwards, plead responsible in UK courts on counts of accessing indecent images of children.

Edwards—who left the BBC in April 2024, having been suspended associated to separate allegations in November 2023—seems in a cameo in the course of the climax of the eleventh episode of Physician Who‘s 2006 season. Set within the near-future across the then-upcoming 2012 London Olympics, the episode follows a younger woman possessed by an alien being, whose otherworldly powers start to make individuals mysteriously vanish. Edwards options prominently within the climax of the episode, reporting on the disappearances round a ceremony for the lighting of the Olympic flame.

Up till his suspension final 12 months, Edwards was one of the recognizable and distinguished information anchors within the UK. A essential presenter for the BBC’s 10 O’clock Information program, Edwards led protection for the broadcaster on main information occasions, together with a number of elections, in addition to  the demise and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Physician Who shouldn’t be Edwards’ solely cameo in movie and TV, both: he additionally seems within the 2012 James Bond movie Skyfall, taking part in himself reporting on an assault on the British Intelligence service MI6.

“In November 2023, while Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC as his employer on the time was made conscious in confidence that he had been arrested on suspicion of significant offences and launched on bail while the police continued their investigation. On the time, no expenses had been introduced towards Mr Edwards and the BBC had additionally been made conscious of serious threat to his well being,” the BBC stated in a press release, launched after Edwards appeared in court docket yesterday to plead responsible to 3 counts of “making” indecent pictures of kids, the broad legal term for having both downloaded, accessed, or saved pictures on a pc, or be despatched them over social media and chat providers.

“In the present day we have now learnt of the conclusion of the police course of within the particulars as offered to the court docket. If at any level in the course of the interval Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had decided it might act instantly to dismiss him.”

The BBC has but to verify its plans to return “Concern Her” to the iPlayer platform—which had just lately turn into Physician Who‘s definitive streaming home within the UK final 12 months, internet hosting almost every available episode of the collection throughout its 60+ 12 months historical past. British tabloid the Mirror reviews that the broadcaster has plans re-dub Edwards’ efficiency within the episode with one other actor, though it stays unknown if the BBC will substitute or take away the footage of Edwards’ look altogether.

The episode at the moment stays accessible to stream in the U.S. on Max. io9 has reached out to Max to ask if it has plans to take away the episode, and can replace this publish if we hear again.

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