Martin Clunes talks transforming into Huw Edwards for new drama tackling “awful” crimes – and reveals why Edwards’s family do not feature

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On July 31, 2024, Huw Edwards admitted in court to creating indecent images of children. This marked a shameful end to the career of the BBC newsreader who, just two years prior, had been the one to announce the death of Queen Elizabeth II to the nation.

Public downfalls rarely happen with such fanfare, and now they’re almost always turned into TV shows. “Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards” features Martin Clunes as Edwards, and he delivers a truly impressive performance, capturing every nuance of the man. From his precise haircut and authoritative posture to his distinctive Welsh accent, Clunes perfectly embodies Edwards.

Clunes explains that everyone remembers how Edwards announced the Queen’s death, so he felt compelled to imitate it. He focused on getting the timing and delivery exactly right, and he was pleased with the result.

So, this movie is based on a really disturbing true story. The guy, Edwards, seemed like he had it all – a good marriage, five grown kids – but behind closed doors, he was paying young men for explicit photos. It’s based on actual text messages between him and a teenager named Ryan – the actor, Osian Morgan, absolutely kills it portraying Ryan with such heartbreaking vulnerability. The really unsettling part? He’d be demanding these images via text, and then, like, moments later, he’d be giving public addresses to the country, all calm and collected. It’s a truly bizarre and disturbing contrast.

What’s really interesting about this story, according to Clunes, is that because Edwards was a familiar face in people’s homes every evening, his personal life felt much more exposed and magnified when it became public.

The series suggests Edwards’s interactions with Ryan were typical of his online behavior, ultimately contributing to his arrest. A 26-year-old man in Wales was responsible for distributing the child pornography Edwards viewed – a deeply disturbing crime, according to Clunes, with irreversible consequences.

After playing Doc Martin for nearly two decades, did Martin Clunes hesitate before taking on a darker, more challenging role? He says he doesn’t give it much thought. He believes overthinking things can be detrimental, and he prefers to embrace opportunities rather than worry about potential risks. He’s still actively working by saying yes to a wide range of projects.

In addition to his new drama series for Channel 5, he’s recently appeared in a few other projects. These include a guest role on the American sitcom Best Medicine (a version of Doc Martin), where he played the father of his most well-known character – a part he enjoyed because his wife is a producer on the show. The series has been renewed for a second season, which he hopes will do well. He also starred in the British comedy film Mother’s Pride and gained attention for his performance as Mr. Earnshaw in Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights.

It’s amazing to see this actor really shining later in his career – he’s 64, and it feels like everything’s finally clicking! He actually said he always knew he was good, and he’s been telling people for years! It’s funny, because he just landed a fantastic role in a new production of Wuthering Heights, and he’s laughing about finally getting the recognition he deserves.

To convincingly portray Edwards, Clunes had his ears altered with makeup and followed a strict 5:2 diet. He developed the character’s voice by studying old recordings with his wife. He found it strange because Edwards didn’t seem to relax even when he wasn’t ‘on duty,’ and Clunes listened to the recordings repeatedly to capture the unique cadence of his speech.

In July 2023, The Sun newspaper published a story about a BBC star allegedly paying a young person for explicit photos. This came after Ryan’s mother and stepfather – portrayed by Sian Reese-Williams and Jason Hughes – contacted the paper. The television drama Power, directed by Michael Samuels and written by Mark Burt, acknowledges the newspaper’s role in exposing Edwards’ actions.

Has the recent controversy changed Clunes’ view of tabloid newspapers? Not at all, he says. Like Huw Edwards, he’s a public figure, and the papers are just looking for scandals or hypocrisy. I pointed out that people generally like him, but he jokingly replied, ‘Exactly! Who better to target?’

The drama focuses on Ryan and largely avoids exploring the impact on Huw Edwards’s family, despite a public statement made by Edwards’s wife, Vicky Flind, in July 2023, identifying him as the presenter accused of paying for sexually explicit images of a young person. As actor Martin Clunes explains, the story positions Huw Edwards as the perpetrator, and therefore doesn’t require showing his family’s perspective. While Clunes does express sympathy for the family, acknowledging they are often secondary victims in such cases, he emphasizes that this narrative centers on Ryan’s experience.

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Clunes isn’t very familiar with modern technology – he admits he doesn’t use social media – and appears truly confused by Edwards using mobile phones to intimidate Ryan into sharing photos.

He explains that Edwards was able to maintain a hidden life thanks to things like phones and PayPal. He wonders if people were capable of such deception before the existence of those technologies, questioning whether he’s fortunate to have been unaware or simply too trusting.

We’re teasing, but his acting—especially in roles like Edwards and in shows such as Manhunt and Out There—shows he’s incredibly skilled at disappearing into a character. He says he prefers to fully embody a role, becoming someone else rather than relying on charm, and admits he’s never quite managed it. However, it’s clear he absolutely has.

Authors

Michael Hodges

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2026-03-16 20:43