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<\/p>\nMartin Clunes has issued a bilstering verdict on mainstream tabloids as he delves into the role of Huw Edwards for Channel 5’s forthcoming drama Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, which airs on March 24.<\/p>\n
The 64-year-old actor had his ears pinned back and adopted the 5:2 diet to embody the former presenter, who pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children at Westminster Magistrates Court in July 2024.<\/p>\n
Clunes captures Edwards’s appearance down to the precise details, including the short back and sides haircut with exact side-parting and the characteristic arm extended over the news desk.<\/p>\n
The actor suggested the transformation came relatively naturally. “I don’t really sound like him, but we watched him every night on TV,” Clunes explained. “He seeps in a bit.”<\/p>\n
The star opened up about how he felt playing the disgraced star <\/p>\n
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CHANNEL 5<\/p>\n
To master Edwards’s distinctive vocal delivery, Clunes and his wife spent considerable time studying archive material of the broadcaster. <\/p>\n
“My wife and I listened to archive stuff,” the actor revealed. “It was really weird, because you thought that he would be off duty and fun, but he was being quite creepy. <\/p>\n
\u201cI had it on my phone and would listen just to keep his interesting rhythms.” <\/p>\n
The portrayal required particular attention to Edwards’s delivery of major news events, most notably his announcement of the Queen’s death in 2022.<\/p>\n
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Mr Edwards was part of the BBC team for the majority of his career<\/p>\n
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GETTY\/BBC <\/p>\n
“Edwards delivering the news of the Queen’s death is so well known, that it needed mimicry from me, in a way,” Clunes said. <\/p>\n
“Those rhythms and sounds had to be spot on. I was happy to get it sounding right.\u201d <\/p>\n
The emotional weight of filming proved considerable for Clunes, particularly during scenes depicting text message exchanges between Edwards and the teenage victim, identified in the drama as Ryan. <\/p>\n
“It was hard towards the end of the story, hearing Osian’s vulnerable voice when Edwards was bullying him, and the hurt of this boy reaching out in a sensitive way,” Clunes said. <\/p>\n
![\"Martin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774166169_432_martin-clunes.png\")
The actor opened up on what he felt about mainstream media <\/p>\n
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CHANNEL 5<\/p>\n
“I didn’t feel very nice at the end of those scenes.” <\/p>\n
Both Clunes and Osian Morgan, who plays Ryan, remained present on set throughout filming to support one another and create a sense of intimacy, despite their characters’ interactions occurring remotely. <\/p>\n
The actor credited his familiar camera crew with helping him navigate the difficult material. <\/p>\n
“I was working with the same camera crew that we had on Out There, who I adore, so I was among friends. I don’t know how I would have done it otherwise,” he said. <\/p>\n
![\"Huw](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/huw-edwards.jpg\")
The disgraced star pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children <\/p>\n
Channel 5 has defended the drama against criticism that it arrives too soon after Edwards’s conviction. <\/p>\n
Ben Frow, the broadcaster’s chief content officer, rejected such concerns at a recent screening. “I think it isn’t too soon,” he stated. <\/p>\n
“If you want to reach as many people as possible and highlight how grooming works and the insidiousness of grooming, drama is [the] most powerful way to do it.” <\/p>\n
Executive producer Sam Anstiss emphasised that the victim himself determined the appropriate moment. “The timing was right. <\/p>\n
![\"Huw](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774166170_257_huw-edwards.jpg\")
Mr Edwards no longer works for the coorperation <\/p>\n
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GETTY <\/p>\n
“The victim was ready to tell his story. There are really urgent themes in this drama around online safety and the leniency of the sentencing.” <\/p>\n
Frow added that Power offered “a different side of the story” while addressing the “serious issue” of grooming young men and abuse of power. <\/p>\n
The drama centres on Ryan’s experience rather than exploring Edwards’s family life, a deliberate creative choice by the production team. <\/p>\n
Clunes explained the reasoning behind this approach. “Huw Edwards is the bad guy,” he said. “So, we don’t need [to see] the bad guy’s family.”<\/p>\n
The only reference to Edwards’s relatives comes through his wife Vicky Flind’s public statement from July 2023, which identified him as the presenter accused of paying for sexual images of a teenager. <\/p>\n
When asked whether he felt sympathy for Edwards’s family, Mr Clunes acknowledged their suffering. “I do. <\/p>\n
There’s no denying the fact that the families of people who commit these crimes are secondary victims. But this is Ryan’s story.”<\/p>\n