Martin Clunes explains why he took Huw Edwards role

The 64-year-old plays the disgraced BBC News presenter in Channel 5’s new two-part drama Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards.

Clunes said that one of the main reasons he went for the part was due to the script.

Speaking to the Radio Times, he shared: “The script is always the most important thing and I thought it was really powerful and compelling – it’s always good when drama tackles difficult stories, especially when it does so as intelligently as this project.

“Beyond the salacious curiosity around this story, I really thought there was another story worth telling, that of ‘Ryan’ and his family.

“Obviously the press and the media have focused on the fallen big man, Huw Edwards, which, of course, is a big story.

“But behind that, there’s this lad and his family whose lives got turned upside down and rather spoiled.”

The drama is based on interviews with key individuals connected to the case, but not with Edwards himself, who was not involved in the project.

Clunes appears alongside Osian Mrogan, who plays ‘Ryan’ – not his real name – the young man at the centre of the story, who was 17 years old when he came into contact with the broadcaster.

“I thought he was out of my reach as far as directors go”

Another major factor behind Clunes’ involvement was the opportunity to work with director Martin Samuels.

He said: “I’m also a massive fan of the director, Michael Samuels, and I never thought I’d get to work with him.

“I thought he was out of my reach as far as directors go, so I was really thrilled about the chance to work with him on this.”

Samuels has been involved with plenty of TV films and series, including Any Human Heart, The Fear, The Windermere Children and Man in an Orange Shirt.

Edwards has since publicly criticised Wonderhood, the production company behind the drama.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, he said: “[They] made no attempt to check with me the truth of any aspect of their narrative before going ahead with the production.

“They belatedly asked for a response after the drama had been made, while reserving the right to edit any such response.

“They also refused to disclose whether any of those making allegations had been paid for their contributions.

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“Channel 5’s ‘factual drama’ is hardly likely to convey the reality of what happened.”

The broadcaster has defended the drama, insisting it gives a voice to Edwards’ alleged victim so that “no one who has been silenced feels they are alone”.

Edwards received a six-month sentence, suspended for two years and was placed on the sex offenders register for seven years in September 2024 after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.