Huw Edwards‘ status at the BBC was so lofty one star was warned not to be too funny or clever in front of him, according to a former colleague.

The corporation’s Culture and Media Editor, Katie Razzall, has revealed advice she was given when she started working at BBC News three years ago.

Ms Razzall shared the apparent insight into Edwards’ character in an opinion piece published by the BBC before the disgraced former presenter was spared jail after admitting accessing indecent images of children as young as seven.

She said a colleague had advised her: “‘You can be funny’, they said. ‘But don’t be funnier than Huw. You can be clever, but don’t be too clever’.”

The BBC’s culture editor explained that discovery of the former presenter’s guilt had “rocked” people in the newsroom “to their core”, with one staff member speaking of “feeling sick”.

After Edwards was sentenced on Monday (September 16), a spokesperson for the BBC said: “We are appalled by his crimes. He has betrayed not just the BBC, but audiences who put their trust in him.”

Edwards, 63, had previously admitted three charges of “making” indecent photographs after he was sent 41 illegal images by convicted paedophile Alex Williams over WhatsApp.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Edwards held his hands together and leaned forward throughout his sentencing hearing.

The court heard Edwards paid Williams hundreds of pounds after he sent him pornographic images, but his defence barrister Philip Evans KC said the former presenter did not make payments to Williams in order to receive indecent images of children.

The prosecution said Williams asked Edwards for a “Christmas gift after all the hot videos”.

Mr Evans said Edwards “recognises he has betrayed the priceless trust and faith of so many people”, adding his client was “truly sorry” for how he had “damaged his family and his loved ones” as well as for committing the offences.

A psychiatrist’s report, referenced by the judge in his sentencing remarks, concluded Edwards was at “considerable risk of harm from others” and the risk of taking his own life was “high and significant” if he was imprisoned.

In a separate report, a psychosexual therapist said: “The feelings of being desirable and unseen alongside Mr Edwards’ unresolved sexual orientation created a perfect storm where he engaged in sexual infidelities and became vulnerable to people blackmailing him.”

Sentencing Edwards, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told the broadcaster: “Perhaps it does not need saying but you are of previous good character.”

The judge said he accepted Edwards had been of “exemplary” good character “having enjoyed a very successful career in the media”.

He continued: “It’s obvious that until now you were very highly regarded by the public.” Mr Goldspring added Edwards was “perhaps the most recognised newsreader-journalist” and it was “not an exaggeration” to say his “long-earned reputation is in tatters”.

Edwards’ fall from grace was triggered when the mother of a young man blew the whistle on their relationship. The youngster at the centre of the scandal had initially wanted to protect Edwards.

But he told the Mirror Edwards “sort of fed” on his “vulnerability”. It was the man’s mother blowing the whistle on Edwards which sparked a chain of events which led to his pleading guilty in July to making indecent images.

The man told the Mirror: “I feel like he sort of fed on my vulnerability as he knew I needed the money – I felt like I was being groomed.”

Now happy and in a new relationship, the lad told the same publication he felt like he trusted Edwards and that he cared, adding: “But that’s how the manipulation started. I looked up to this man but he didn’t care about me. He was taking advantage but I felt I had to listen to him because he was Huw Edwards.”

Edwards will be subject to 25 rehabilitation sessions and be placed on the sex offender treatment programme for 40 days. He was also ordered to pay £3,000 in prosecution costs and was told he would be put on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

The judge declined to make a sexual harm prevention order against Edwards.