BBC Pulls 2006 Doctor Who Episode Featuring Disgraced News Broadcaster From Streaming

The BBC has pulled the 2006 Doctor Who occurrence “Fear Her” from streaming connected its iPlayer platform, aft 1 of its impermanent stars, erstwhile BBC quality anchor Huw Edwards, plead blameworthy successful UK courts connected counts of accessing indecent images of children.

Edwards—who near the BBC successful April 2024, having been suspended related to abstracted allegations successful November 2023—appears successful a cameo during the climax of the 11th occurrence of Doctor Who‘s 2006 season. Set successful the near-future astir the then-upcoming 2012 London Olympics, the occurrence follows a young miss possessed by an alien being, whose otherworldly powers statesman to marque radical mysteriously vanish. Edwards features prominently successful the climax of the episode, reporting connected the disappearances astir a ceremonial for the lighting of the Olympic flame.

Up until his suspension past year, Edwards was 1 of the astir recognizable and salient quality anchors successful the UK. A main presenter for the BBC’s 10 O’clock News program, Edwards led sum for the broadcaster connected large quality events, including aggregate elections, arsenic good as  the decease and ceremonial of Queen Elizabeth II. Doctor Who is not Edwards’ lone cameo successful movie and TV, either: helium besides appears successful the 2012 James Bond movie Skyfall, playing himself reporting connected an onslaught connected the British Intelligence work MI6.

“In November 2023, whilst Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC arsenic his leader astatine the clip was made alert successful assurance that helium had been arrested connected suspicion of superior offences and released connected bail whilst the constabulary continued their investigation. At the time, nary charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had besides been made alert of important hazard to his health,” the BBC said successful a statement, released aft Edwards appeared successful tribunal yesterday to plead blameworthy to 3 counts of “making” indecent images of children, the broad ineligible term for having either downloaded, accessed, oregon stored images connected a computer, oregon beryllium sent them implicit societal media and chat services.

“Today we person learnt of the decision of the constabulary process successful the details arsenic presented to the court. If astatine immoderate constituent during the play Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC helium had been charged, the BBC had determined it would enactment instantly to disregard him.”

The BBC has yet to corroborate its plans to instrumentality “Fear Her” to the iPlayer platform—which had precocious go Doctor Who‘s definitive streaming home successful the UK past year, hosting almost each disposable episode of the bid crossed its 60+ twelvemonth history. British tabloid the Mirror reports that the broadcaster has plans re-dub Edwards’ show successful the occurrence with different actor, though it remains chartless if the BBC volition regenerate oregon region the footage of Edwards’ quality altogether.

The occurrence presently remains disposable to stream successful the U.S. connected Max. io9 has reached retired to Max to inquire if it has plans to region the episode, and volition update this station if we perceive back.

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