Martin Clunes is taking on the most controversial character of his career in Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, and he’s been embroiled in some scandals of his own over his 40 year career.
The actor, now 64, has spent 40 years playing likeable characters on TV. But he’s now well and truly in his villain era. Just this year, the London-born star has played violent alcoholic Mr Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights. And now Huw Edwards for a Channel 5 drama.
Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards is a feature-length factual drama exploring the story of how the respected BBC presenter groomed a vulnerable 17-year-old boy. At the time, Huw was arguably one of the most powerful and revered figures in television. The BBC newsreader famously was on air to announce the breaking news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022. When he spoke, we listened. But that all changed in 2023.
As Martin Clunes appears in the uncomfortable drama exploring Huw’s double life, here’s a look behind the curtains of Martin’s own scandals, controversies, and disappointments.
Martin Clunes scandals: Dropped as a patron of an animal welfare charity
In 2019, an animal welfare charity dropped Martin Clunes as a patron after footage emerged of him riding an elephant in Nepal. He faced fierce criticism over the ‘exploitative’ elephant ride, which he filmed during an episode of ITV programme My Travels And Other Animals.
In a statement, Born Free called the incident “deeply unfortunate”. They said they were “resolutely against” the actions of the actor.
They said: “Born Free has always been opposed to the exploitation of captive wild animals for entertainment and human interactions. There is clear evidence that training, keeping and riding captive elephants causes distress and suffering.”
Born Free swiftly removed Martin as a celebrity patron on the Born Free website. He had previously filmed several adverts for the charity.
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In November 2012, Martin was banned from driving for six months. This came after he accumulated 12 points on his licence as a result of four separate speeding offences.
