Huw Edwards criticised for entering Welsh festival poetry competition

Edwards has previously received criticism for posts on his Substack blog

A prominent actress and survivor of child sexual abuse has criticised disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards for competing at this year's National Eisteddfod, claiming that, had he won, it would have been "catastrophic".

In 2024, Edwards admitted to accessing 41 images of children, including seven of the most serious type, and was given a six-month sentence, suspended for two years.

Edwards said the poem he submitted was a tribute to his father, intended to correct a "poisonous narrative", and was not for "sickeningly self-righteous Welsh speakers".

The National Eisteddfod, Wales' biggest cultural festival, said its process meant "nobody, including the judges, know beforehand who has competed".

Those taking part in the Eisteddfod's poetry competition do so under a pseudonym, with entrants' real details kept in a sealed envelope and winners' identities only revealed when announced.

On Sunday, Edwards published a post on his Substack blog stating he had "attempted to write a poem" for the first time in his life, having "drawn inspiration" from the National Eisteddfod.

BBC-produced Newyddion S4C has received confirmation that Edwards' poem, written under the pseudonym "Y Gelyn" (The Enemy), had been officially entered.

Actress Sera Cracroft, best-known for her role in long-running Welsh soap opera Pobol y Cwm, has previously spoken publicly about her experience of suffering child sex abuse.

She was highly critical of the former newsreader's latest publication.

"Had he won, the image of him being crowned in front of the nation is hurtful to survivors," she said.

"Huw has said he is receiving mental health support and to be completely honest, I don't think it's working for him.

"I'm very, very disappointed that he's done that so soon after being convicted of creating paedophilia online.

She added it was "far too soon for him to try and redeem himself".

Edwards admitted to accessing 41 images of children, including seven of the most serious type

Newyddion S4C understands Edwards' attempt fell far short of winning the competition, with his poem placed in the third grouping of entries - a system used by the judging panel to rank entries.

His Substack account had previously drawn criticism from child sexual abuse campaigners.

In recent posts, he said he felt "abhorrence" towards the offences he committed and admitted to, and stated that his sentence would become spent on 16 September.

In an entry last month titled On Hatred, he also stated he was "not a child rapist" and that his