This prick (and Gregg Wallace too) will never get the reality check he so richly deserves. It boils my piss when entitled old men try to wave their failing away by blaming depression and/or being neurodiverse. I have had the former and I am the latter. I'm not a sexual predator. I'd shout myself hoarse delivering some home truths to these pricks. Language, sorry. It just makes me so angry.
You’ve nailed the key issue here. Obviously it’s problematic that he’s on the loose and peddling his thoughts for all to see, but it’s the entitlement. As if he is entitled to a platform. How dare the BBC sack him? Don’t they know he has important ruminations to share? He has no choice but to come to Substack, really.
We had a convicted sex offender come into a place I worked, which was full of the kind of people he'd assaulted. He seriously gave me the creeps. We weren't allowed to stop him coming in, because of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (has Edwards even rehabilitated?) but you can bet my staff and I watched him like a hawk. He actually tried to steal something once and my colleague ran after him and but he'd dropped it on the floor before my colleague caught him. He was a pathetic individual. If he was out on licence, if we'd caught him, he could've gone back in again!
As a side note, I know someone who's worked with paedophiles in the system. Apparently, they often dress younger than their age, presumably to be less threatening to their targets. Just wondering if that explains the childish font?
Perhaps the best thing for Edwards would’ve been to serve time, accept his actions were his and his alone (not the devil of depression sat on his shoulder) and enter a rehabilitation programme in a sex offenders institute. The road back would surely have been better mapped from there, not a social media platform with an embarrassingly small echo chamber. Oh well.
I have just been reading an anti-feminist account whose articles are all about how women now have all the power and men are just doing their best but getting labelled as sex offenders for looking at women for too long. I didn’t give any of her articles the dignity of a reply but your essay just emphasises how entitled many men are, and Mr Edwards doesn’t seem sorry for what he did, just that he got caught. It’s the classic DARVO approach, to elicit himpathy. “Ah, he was not in control of himself, poor wee lad”. Which is why we need feminism. To change the dynamics, to allow everyone to live their lives in as authentic a way as possible. Children need our protection, but many see them as property and to do with what they please. It breaks my heart 💔
Just bought your book by the way, Julia. Looking forward to reading it ❤️
Suzanne, thank you so much! The entitlement is the thing we keep coming back to isn’t it? No ability to look inwards, to see that they’re the problem. Only this mass externalising of all the badness like it’s nothing to do with them.
Absolutely. And men can control themselves. We know this because they do so around other people. I’m sure Mr Edwards’ colleagues might have had an idea that something was amiss, but they had to protect “the talent”. If a woman employed by the BBC in a presenting role puts a foot wrong, she’s a bully, a difficult woman, too big for her boots and so on. Is it projection? Like with right wing politics? Every accusation is a confession?
There are absolutely different standards for women. And calling a woman ‘difficult’ is the fastest way to discredit her at work. We have a long, long way to go.
Fucking hell, first Farage and now Edwards join Substack, and looking for what, exactly? A soapbox? Surely not a receptive audience, neither of them can be that bloody stupid, can they? Aye, git tae fuck, as my Scottish friends so beautifully put it.
Great article. As of now he has over SEVEN HUNDRED subscribers which beggars belief. There are plenty of other journalists here on Substack with interesting coverage of the headlines who aren’t convicted sex offenders but they decide to follow him? Jeez.
Yes, that’s very much how I feel. It’s deeply uncomfortable to me that some people gravitate towards serious sex offenders as though they are completely disconnected from their crimes. I wander what they can hope to gain from it?
I subscribed to his page in order to be able to interrogate just wtf he thinks he is able to “offer” and “comment” that in any way addresses any damn thing other than continued deflection, immaturity and lack of ethics, self-awareness, care and responsibility. It seems one cannot even comment on his posts unless as a paid subscriber - fairly common on Substack, but a handy way of gatekeeping any actual criticism, since who the hell out of those of us wanting to rip his oh so rational, let’s have conversations about mental illness schtick to shreds is going to pay him? Honestly. Isn’t social media great?
So I’m unsubscribing tout suite, aware as ever of the monster that looks back at us.
I’ll just gently say we don’t know this man’s history or what he went through as a child. I hope that he can use this time to reform, as every sex offender is legally granted that opportunity in the eyes of our law. I do not condone sexual assault or grooming, but I also understand that these predelictions are typically bred from deep seated sexual trauma. I truly hope that he gets the help he clearly needs and I also hope that the children involved in this as victims are given all the support and emotional care they require and so v much deserve. I think of helping them far more than I think about what Huw Edward’s is or isn’t up to on substack.
I suppose I would echo the excellent point that Naomi Alderman made earlier today. If he used his public profile to commit these harms, I would question why he feels the need to have a public profile again. Seeking a position of authority again isn’t a sign that he’s working through his problems and concentrating on rehabilitation. Something to think about.
I think you’re probably right although I suppose we don’t know what goes on behind the scenes in his own life. I wonder… It’s so desperately sad either way. The world is such a dark place at the moment. Or perhaps it always has been and now we see it more thanks to social media?
Of course, compassion for all victims of this abhorrent behaviour. But many victims don’t go on to offend. The fact he didn’t seek help when some do, makes me less sympathetic.
Your compassion is genuinely admirable, but everyone’s individual response to this behaviour is going to be informed by their own life experience. Perhaps some compassion towards differences of opinion?
I couldn't disagree more and to be honestly this lefty attitude is exactly why people like him exist, as they can do these things, and worse in many cases and either get away with it or be punished to the minimum extent possible.
He lost his job, hopefully his career for the remainder of his time on this planet, through his own digressions. These, for someone like him, I can assure you, stem from the entitlement someone in his position feels he has, and more importantly, can get away with. I can all but guarantee he's been in the headlights within his industry in the past, and it has been covered up and he felt he was so important he could get away with anything.
Lets also not forget here, his behaviour in terms of going from images on his devices, to contacting a young boy and soliciting pictures also demonstrate escalation. Had he not been rumbled when he had, this could have gone further had he felt he was untouchable.
As for the reform nonsense, just NO, I don't believe that for a second.
You making excuses for him are also just wrong. I don't care about his past, nor should anyone else. I grew up in an awful house of domestic violence. Did I grow up to be an abuser of women, no, quite the opposite, and instead find the fact that it is still an issue in this country abhorrent.
I have often been tempted to view child sex offenders this way. And honestly, it’s fine if you. We don’t owe him compassion. I really believe that. But also, rehabilitation is a HUGE part of stopping them offending in the future. It’s proven. It’s important. But I’m sensing from him that to regain a public platform is more important than going away and learning about himself. His keenness to blame “mental health” says an awful lot about self-examination or a lack of it.
This prick (and Gregg Wallace too) will never get the reality check he so richly deserves. It boils my piss when entitled old men try to wave their failing away by blaming depression and/or being neurodiverse. I have had the former and I am the latter. I'm not a sexual predator. I'd shout myself hoarse delivering some home truths to these pricks. Language, sorry. It just makes me so angry.
The language is justified in this case, I think.
Unfortunately, a narcissist doesn't know they are a narcissist. They will always believe they are the victim.
You’ve nailed the key issue here. Obviously it’s problematic that he’s on the loose and peddling his thoughts for all to see, but it’s the entitlement. As if he is entitled to a platform. How dare the BBC sack him? Don’t they know he has important ruminations to share? He has no choice but to come to Substack, really.
Exactly. The ego is intact and it really REALLY shouldn’t be.
We had a convicted sex offender come into a place I worked, which was full of the kind of people he'd assaulted. He seriously gave me the creeps. We weren't allowed to stop him coming in, because of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (has Edwards even rehabilitated?) but you can bet my staff and I watched him like a hawk. He actually tried to steal something once and my colleague ran after him and but he'd dropped it on the floor before my colleague caught him. He was a pathetic individual. If he was out on licence, if we'd caught him, he could've gone back in again!
As a side note, I know someone who's worked with paedophiles in the system. Apparently, they often dress younger than their age, presumably to be less threatening to their targets. Just wondering if that explains the childish font?
Interesting theory.
And to appear cuddly and friendly to the gullible as well.
Perhaps the best thing for Edwards would’ve been to serve time, accept his actions were his and his alone (not the devil of depression sat on his shoulder) and enter a rehabilitation programme in a sex offenders institute. The road back would surely have been better mapped from there, not a social media platform with an embarrassingly small echo chamber. Oh well.
Have to agree. There’s no accountability there, just a lot of blaming everything but himself.
I have just been reading an anti-feminist account whose articles are all about how women now have all the power and men are just doing their best but getting labelled as sex offenders for looking at women for too long. I didn’t give any of her articles the dignity of a reply but your essay just emphasises how entitled many men are, and Mr Edwards doesn’t seem sorry for what he did, just that he got caught. It’s the classic DARVO approach, to elicit himpathy. “Ah, he was not in control of himself, poor wee lad”. Which is why we need feminism. To change the dynamics, to allow everyone to live their lives in as authentic a way as possible. Children need our protection, but many see them as property and to do with what they please. It breaks my heart 💔
Just bought your book by the way, Julia. Looking forward to reading it ❤️
Suzanne, thank you so much! The entitlement is the thing we keep coming back to isn’t it? No ability to look inwards, to see that they’re the problem. Only this mass externalising of all the badness like it’s nothing to do with them.
Absolutely. And men can control themselves. We know this because they do so around other people. I’m sure Mr Edwards’ colleagues might have had an idea that something was amiss, but they had to protect “the talent”. If a woman employed by the BBC in a presenting role puts a foot wrong, she’s a bully, a difficult woman, too big for her boots and so on. Is it projection? Like with right wing politics? Every accusation is a confession?
There are absolutely different standards for women. And calling a woman ‘difficult’ is the fastest way to discredit her at work. We have a long, long way to go.
Well he can just font right off….
“Be kind. Keep on topic.” Etiquette rules to live by, from convicted child sex offender, Huw Edwards.
Fucking hell, first Farage and now Edwards join Substack, and looking for what, exactly? A soapbox? Surely not a receptive audience, neither of them can be that bloody stupid, can they? Aye, git tae fuck, as my Scottish friends so beautifully put it.
Farage is here as well? F**k
And his army of semi-trained apes
I think you’re being kind with the ‘semi’……
😞
of course he fucking is
It was only a matter of time.
Thanks for heads up, just blocked the nonce and his apologist "followers"
Thanks for writing this Julia. I would like to say that I am shocked that he is even allowed on the platform, but I sadly I am not.
Great article. As of now he has over SEVEN HUNDRED subscribers which beggars belief. There are plenty of other journalists here on Substack with interesting coverage of the headlines who aren’t convicted sex offenders but they decide to follow him? Jeez.
Yes, that’s very much how I feel. It’s deeply uncomfortable to me that some people gravitate towards serious sex offenders as though they are completely disconnected from their crimes. I wander what they can hope to gain from it?
I subscribed to his page in order to be able to interrogate just wtf he thinks he is able to “offer” and “comment” that in any way addresses any damn thing other than continued deflection, immaturity and lack of ethics, self-awareness, care and responsibility. It seems one cannot even comment on his posts unless as a paid subscriber - fairly common on Substack, but a handy way of gatekeeping any actual criticism, since who the hell out of those of us wanting to rip his oh so rational, let’s have conversations about mental illness schtick to shreds is going to pay him? Honestly. Isn’t social media great?
So I’m unsubscribing tout suite, aware as ever of the monster that looks back at us.
I think his existence on Substack is pretty strong proof that he’s missed the point entirely.
667 subscribers now 🥺
I’ll just gently say we don’t know this man’s history or what he went through as a child. I hope that he can use this time to reform, as every sex offender is legally granted that opportunity in the eyes of our law. I do not condone sexual assault or grooming, but I also understand that these predelictions are typically bred from deep seated sexual trauma. I truly hope that he gets the help he clearly needs and I also hope that the children involved in this as victims are given all the support and emotional care they require and so v much deserve. I think of helping them far more than I think about what Huw Edward’s is or isn’t up to on substack.
I suppose I would echo the excellent point that Naomi Alderman made earlier today. If he used his public profile to commit these harms, I would question why he feels the need to have a public profile again. Seeking a position of authority again isn’t a sign that he’s working through his problems and concentrating on rehabilitation. Something to think about.
I think you’re probably right although I suppose we don’t know what goes on behind the scenes in his own life. I wonder… It’s so desperately sad either way. The world is such a dark place at the moment. Or perhaps it always has been and now we see it more thanks to social media?
Of course, compassion for all victims of this abhorrent behaviour. But many victims don’t go on to offend. The fact he didn’t seek help when some do, makes me less sympathetic.
Incorrect, ill-informed. Desire for power and control fuels this evil behaviour. He alone is responsible for the harm.
Ok Eileen. Have a great day!
Your compassion is genuinely admirable, but everyone’s individual response to this behaviour is going to be informed by their own life experience. Perhaps some compassion towards differences of opinion?
Not quite sure who from the healthy group conversation this comment is intended for?
Oh! It was for Sophie.
I couldn't disagree more and to be honestly this lefty attitude is exactly why people like him exist, as they can do these things, and worse in many cases and either get away with it or be punished to the minimum extent possible.
He lost his job, hopefully his career for the remainder of his time on this planet, through his own digressions. These, for someone like him, I can assure you, stem from the entitlement someone in his position feels he has, and more importantly, can get away with. I can all but guarantee he's been in the headlights within his industry in the past, and it has been covered up and he felt he was so important he could get away with anything.
Lets also not forget here, his behaviour in terms of going from images on his devices, to contacting a young boy and soliciting pictures also demonstrate escalation. Had he not been rumbled when he had, this could have gone further had he felt he was untouchable.
As for the reform nonsense, just NO, I don't believe that for a second.
You making excuses for him are also just wrong. I don't care about his past, nor should anyone else. I grew up in an awful house of domestic violence. Did I grow up to be an abuser of women, no, quite the opposite, and instead find the fact that it is still an issue in this country abhorrent.
I have often been tempted to view child sex offenders this way. And honestly, it’s fine if you. We don’t owe him compassion. I really believe that. But also, rehabilitation is a HUGE part of stopping them offending in the future. It’s proven. It’s important. But I’m sensing from him that to regain a public platform is more important than going away and learning about himself. His keenness to blame “mental health” says an awful lot about self-examination or a lack of it.
Ok Jamie.