How is Huw Edwards different to Philip Schofield

[user6482952]

Heard this question raised on LBC this morning and was wondering the same thing.

How are the two any different? Both older men engaged with younger men, both cheating on their wives, and both claiming mental health issues post revelation.

I think the fact that PS abused his position of power in the workplace may have something to do with it . Plus he knew the young man from age 11. Just vile.

I think Schofield’s situation looked a lot more like grooming and was based in the workplace.

He met the boy when he was 15
He got the boy work experience
He was in a position of power in the workplace

Also when confronted about it Schofield lied

I think both men seem utterly grim, in their sixties seeking sexual gratification with youngsters- even if they were over the age of consent it’s still grim.

To me there are big differences. Schofield had a relationship with someone he knew and worked with. There was common ground and years of friendship and shared experience. Whether that was grooming or not, I don't know, but the younger man had a job at a prestigious place. His life was on track. However morally dubious the motives, Schofield was helping this boy's career progress.

Edwards presents himself as a model of probity. A pillar of the church, an earnest presenter, trusted to handle the biggest royal stories. Meanwhile he is paying thousands to a very young sex worker to perform on screen for him over a number of years. It would be evident from the boy's body and behaviour that he is in decline. And the fact he is on Only Fans of a similar platform at a young age suggests his life is on a downward spiral in itself. To not care, to have no compassion about this, but to pour money into it so the boy can fund a crack habit just to let your willy go hard for a few minutes? Repulsive.

Of the two I think one is a weak man and one is a wicked man. If the stories against HE are true. Which they are not yet proven to be.

Until the full details are known, if ever then I do believe there is a difference in having a sexual relationship with a much younger junior member of staff (who you have known since they were a pubescent child) and someone paying for explicit photos from someone they believe to be over 18.

Both gross and both completely disloyal and disrespectful to their wives and families but I do see them differently (based on what we know - worse details might come out yet of course )

Dont forget the other reason PS was so heavily vilified was because he knew his brother was a pedophile who had committed an abhorrent crime yet did not report it and then when asked publicly he lied and said he didn’t know - the truth came out in the brothers court case.

So we know PS protected a known child sex offender - add that into the murky waters of him having sex with a young adult and then you’ve got a much worse picture (imo)

It feels important to say it’s nothing that men don’t do to young women frequently. The out cry does seem homophobic.

I thought this too, though I don't know if it's homophobia or good old-fashioned sexism - society expects girls and women to be targeted and predated on by men and to some extent thinks they've brought it on themselves, while when it happens to a boy or young man, that's bad because men don't deserve to be creeped on. I'm sure I've read that rapists who target men get longer sentences than those who target women.

For me, one difference is that PS started a relationship with someone for whom he was in a position of power and influence over in the workplace, another difference is that when it came to light and people questioned the relationship he then lied about it for years. Whereas HE allegations have only just come to light and he wife released a statement so it's already acknowledged, and the other people involved are not connected to his work and seem to have been "available" online.
Both are highly immoral in my view, both older men taking advantage of younger people, and I have no respect at all for cheating on their spouses. But the workplace relationship and the prolonged lying makes one worse to me.

Also to add to people who say you would know if someone had an addiction by their appearance - not necessarily at all.

in my late teens / early 20s crack was pretty epidemic where I lived and a lot of people I knew smoked pipes. They certainly didn’t look like what you’d expect (what you see on tv).

it is perfectly possible to hide an addiction and appear somewhat healthy- many, many people hide addictions for years.

How can you say HE wasn't a household name! He was the news face of the BBC, announced the death of the Queen, presented all the major Royal events etc. Far more respected and held in esteem than PS who just did silly shows as far as I'm aware

The HE story was a non-story used by the pro-Boris The Sun to deflect attention from other news and to damage the BBC.

PS has always given me the creeps.

I think PS is far worse but HE is still scummy. PS was much more personally involved with the runner than HE appears to have been with the picture person. Still massive issues of balance of power and exploitation of someone vulnerable though. God know why HE's wife is standing by someone with such low morals. I agree about the mental health being an excuse too, he just can't cope with everyone knowing he's so sleezy.

Both gross. Once again another white man allowed to play the mental health card, Huw's wife sticking up for him is honestly so embarrassing

Philip gave his youth a leg up in the industry. He used his position to access the boy. Then again to get him a job. Then he had sex with him. He groomed him .

Huw paid for images as far as I'm aware. He didn't get them jobs. Help their careers. Make sure he had access to them.

They’re very, very different.

PS met the person as a child, in a safe space (the theatre group.) PS built a relationship with the child from there, basically grooming them, giving them a job in a competitive industry. The relationship they had has to be seen within the context of a huge workplace power inequality. He either deceived the crews and top bods at ITV or they were all complicit in it.

HE went on only fans.

It is said that photos were bought from an adult (over 18) web site by one person.
The other person was aware of the age.

I agree. PS hints at grooming, whilst HE used a ‘legitimate website’ and probably presumed, therefore that the person was over eighteen. Still sleazy though.

I honestly can't believe people are defending him due to his mental health problems. He has cheated on his wife and family for years. He has been sexting someone younger than his own children and helping him feed an addiction. That to me says he doesn't care about the young boys mental health but only his own sexual gratification. So are we excusing everyone on the grounds of mental health now. So say someone rapes a teenager are we going to say, oh the rapist had poor mental health let's just let him off. This world has gone mad! Yes it was just barely legal but morally it is wrong on every level. Also I would like to know what age they were when contact was first made. I don't care how good his work was, he has provided someone's child with the means to feed an addiction and exploited him for his own kicks!

Ohyea the lockdown meet up it's not looking great for Huw really 😕

@Everafter20 if a drug addict works in a bar, should we condemn the bar owner for paying them and therefore giving them the means to buy drugs?

Is it because PS got loads of sympathy and an acclaim for coming out as gay after a tough life being in the closet, and then turned out to be a bog standard older bloke abusing power to shag younger colleagues. And people got pissed at that. Like he had used them with his crappy ‘poor me’ narrative.

This.

The now 20 year old who was 17 at the start has said that his parents account is rubbish. The other "young person" is in their early 20s, so an adult. All very trial by media without any actual facts.

Also, the Sun publishing the story is the peak of hypocrisy.

Anyone remember the topless page 3 girls who were 16?

@Everafter20 , it does seem convenient that HE's playing the MH card, but he has suffered mentall ill-health for decades. My worry is perhaps that he might have tried to attempt his own life or something.

His wife has shown strength and courage in coming forward. It must be painful for her and her children.

the younger man had a job at a prestigious place. His life was on track. However morally dubious the motives, Schofield was helping this boy's career progress.

That's a bizarre take. The reason these relationships are not seen as ok is because when someone in power gets you a job (especially at a prestigious place), do you feel able to say no to them?
Plenty of men are have been accused of "helping" a person's "career progress" in return for sexual acts. And the fact that the career does progress does not mean that the person is ok.

In PS interviews he actually said he was suicidal and did people want him to die, so he was also pulling out the mental health big guns. Of course it affects their mental health they were caught out.

I don't see much difference. I'm sickened by this whole story and how the old white male establishment is protecting HE and using mental health as an excuse. He is a predatory creep who has used his significant power to control junior staff and members of the public. There are clear safeguarding red flags all the way through this, and the ages of the people involved are not relevant, it's about status and power and secrecy. If this is brushed under the carpet it proves as a society we are a very long way away from any kind of protection for younger and vulnerable people.

I do seem them as different.

PS potentially groomed a teenager, had an affair for several years, and got him sacked and ended his career when it ended.

I understand HE found these women on Only Fans, who therefore welcomed the contact, attention and payments.