Ofcom has launched an investigation into Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, the Channel 5 drama about the disgraced former BBC News presenter, following a complaint concerning fairness and privacy.
The broadcasting regulator confirmed it was investigating the two-part docudrama under its Broadcasting Code, although it has yet to provide further details about the complaint.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We are investigating a fairness and privacy complaint about this programme.”
Starring Martin Clunes as Edwards, Power examined the allegations surrounding the former newsreader’s relationship with a vulnerable teenager, charting the rise and fall of one of the BBC’s most recognisable faces.
Edwards was once among the corporation’s highest-paid presenters, but his career collapsed following allegations of misconduct and his subsequent criminal conviction.
In 2024, he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children and received a suspended prison sentence.
The former presenter has previously criticised the Channel 5 drama, accusing those behind the production of making “no attempt” to verify its story.
Ofcom’s fairness and privacy rules cover complaints about unjust or unfair treatment in programmes, as well as unwarranted infringements of privacy.
Although Edwards has not publicly commented on the latest complaint, Ofcom’s rules state that such complaints must be made by the person affected or someone authorised to act on their behalf.
The regulator will now consider representations from the parties involved before deciding whether the programme breached its rules. The process could include a private hearing involving the complainant, Channel 5 and production company Wonderhood Studios.
Channel 5 has stood by the drama and said it will “robustly defend this complaint”.
When the programme was first announced, the broadcaster said it had been based on extensive interviews with the victim and his family, alongside court reporting.
Responding to Edwards’ criticism ahead of the drama’s transmission around six months ago, Channel 5 said: “It has been produced in accordance with Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code. All allegations made in the film were put to Huw Edwards via his solicitors six weeks before transmission.”
The investigation does not mean the programme has been found to have breached the Broadcasting Code. Ofcom will reach a decision after considering the evidence and responses from those involved.
If the regulator concludes that the programme broke its rules, it has a range of sanctions available, depending on the nature and seriousness of any breach.