Richard Madeley says he 'feels deeply sorry' for 'troubled' Huw Edwards

Richard Madeley has said he feels sympathy for BBC presenter Huw Edwards who is in hospital with "serious mental health issues" after allegations involving explicit photos came to light.

The BBC is currently undertaking a 'fact-finding' investigation into allegations that Mr Edwards, 61, paid a teenager for sexually explicit images. The Met Police has found that no crime has been committed by the presenter.

Vicky Flind, Mr Edwards' wife, issued a statement on Wednesday naming her husband as the presenter at the centre of the claims, which were first reported by The Sun. She said her husband is “suffering from serious mental health issues” and is receiving in-patient hospital care.

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Mr Madeley is among a number of broadcasters voicing compassion for the veteran presenter. In a column for the Express on Saturday, he said said he felt "deeply sorry" for Mr Edwards, who he called a "troubled soul", and wished him a speedy recovery.

The Good Morning Britain presenter said their were "knotty questions to ponder this weekend as we survey the smoking ruins of a man’s career, let alone his health".

He wrote: "If these accusations are broadly true, were such reckless and ill-judged actions the symptoms and the result of an existing mental crisis, or is Huw Edwards’ current mental collapse the consequence of those actions and the soul-shrivening humiliation of public discovery?"

He added: "Perhaps it’s both. In which case, I feel deeply sorry for such a troubled soul. I wish him a speedy and complete recovery."

It comes after Nicky Campbell said he was keeping Mr Edwards in his thoughts. During his BBC Radio 5 Live show on Thursday