Channel 5 has announced that its two-part factual drama about the downfall of BBC presenter Huw Edwards will air on 24 March at 9pm. The series stars Martin Clunes and draws on extensive research, including The Sun newspaper's investigation. New images feature Clunes alongside actors portraying key figures in the scandal.
The drama, titled Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, is directed by BAFTA-winning Michael Samuels and written by Mark Burt, known for The Trial. It marks the first collaboration between Channel 5's factual and scripted commissioning teams. The series follows Edwards's double life as it spirals out of control, leading to his conviction for serious child sexual offences and exit from public life.
According to the official synopsis, the production offers a "complex, emotional and nuanced portrait" based on 12 months of factual research. This includes first-hand interviews, cooperation from those involved, and exclusive access to The Sun's award-winning investigation. The drama traces events from Edwards's first communication with a teenager to his 2024 guilty plea on three counts of making indecent images of children, for which he received a six-month suspended sentence.
Martin Clunes portrays Edwards, the former News at Ten anchor who covered major events like the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Osian Morgan plays the young man targeted, while Ben Bishop and Clare Calbraith depict The Sun's Executive News Editor Ben O'Driscoll and Editor-in-chief Victoria Newton, respectively. Filming occurred in 2025, primarily in North London and the Watford area.
The project was announced in January. Ben Frow, Channel 5's chief content officer, stated: "This is an important and shocking story of how a man in a position of power and trust betrayed that status." He added: "By gaining exclusive access to the key individuals involved and those who investigated the story, we explore the human cost behind the headlines."
Edwards, exposed by The Sun in 2023 after the BBC failed to respond to complaints from the teenager's parents, was 64 at the time of his conviction.
