Huw Edwards: Depression left me bedridden, says BBC presenter

BBC presenter Huw Edwards has described how during his worst bout of depression he was unable to get out of bed.

The News at Ten presenter has previously spoken of his 20-year battle with mental health problems.

He has told Men's Health UK that his depression includes anxiety and tends to "hit in a strong wave" and then go away.

"I'm pretty clear that I have suffered - and do suffer - from depression," the 60-year-old journalist said.

Edwards, who has been at the BBC since 1984, revealed in an documentary on the Welsh language broadcaster S4C last year that he had bouts of depression which have left him "bedridden" since 2002.

Speaking to mental health campaigner and columnist Alastair Campbell, he said: "It's not anxiety, although it includes anxiety, but it tends to hit me in a strong wave and then go away.

"At least I now know when I'm going to enter a phase like that. Your mind goes into a place where you don't want to do anything. You can't make any decisions.

"Things that you usually enjoy, you dread. You come into work and obviously you do a professional job, but you're kind of pushing your way through it.

"And, of course, if it's very bad - as it has been a few times over the course of 20 years - you can't work. During the worst one I had, I couldn't get out of bed."

Edwards has previously said he is considering his future as presenter of the flagship news programme after admitting finding nightly news "taxing".

He told Campbell - who was former Prime Minister Tony Blair's press secretary - about realising and accepting that you cannot please everyone.

"When I think back 20 years to me getting the (News at) Ten job, it took a long time to stop having a thin skin about people having a pop," he said.

"'Why is this Welsh guy doing the news? Why doesn't he sod off back to Cardiff and do the news there? All he does is read an autocue! Get rid of him!'

"You can laugh it off but if it's every bloody week. I wasn't used to it. I was used to being told I was brilliant. My mistake was thinking you can please all of the people. And you can't.

"You have to be grown up enough to just accept that."

For details of organisations which offer advice and support, go to BBC Action Line.