Martin Clunes has responded to critics of his Channel 5 drama about disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards after several have complained it is "too soon" for a re-telling of the recent scandal.
The actor simply advised audiences to avoid tuning in if they hold this view.
Mr Clunes, who portrays the former broadcaster in Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, addressed criticism during an interview on Tuesday.
The television appearance came just hours before the first episode debuted.
Martin Clunes portrays Huw Edwards in the new Channel 5 drama
|GETTY
Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the actor issued the advice after presenter Susanna Reid questioned whether the timing was appropriate given that those involved are still living through the aftermath.
"I don't know. If anybody thinks it's too soon, don't watch it," he replied.
"I don't think it's too soon. I don't know what, I don't know what the timetable is for these things."
The two-part factual drama premiered on March 24, with the series chronicling how one of British television's most prominent figures became embroiled in a major scandal at the BBC, where Edwards had been among the corporation's highest-paid presenters and a familiar face on News at Ten for decades.
Edwards in Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards is now airing
| PAEdwards admitted guilt to three counts of making indecent images of children at Westminster Magistrates' Court in July 2024.
Court proceedings revealed he had exchanged WhatsApp messages with a man who sent him 41 indecent images of children over a period spanning December 2020 to August 2021.
Channel 5's chief content officer Ben Frow described the programme as "an important and shocking story of how a man in a position of power and trust betrayed that status."
The production explores what Frow called "the human cost behind the headlines" through exclusive access to key individuals and investigating journalists.
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Martin Clunes portrays the disgraced newsreader
|5 BROADCASTING LIMITED/MATT TOWERS/WONDERHOOD STUDIOS/PARAMOUNT
Mr Clunes explained that his approach to the role required him to commit fully to the material provided rather than passing moral judgement on his subject.
"I had the script, I do just have to get behind everything the script [gives] you. Judging it was not on my list of things to do that day," he told the programme's hosts.
"Standing back and saying, 'This is a terrible man doing terrible things' - that's not my task. It was to try and inhabit what the script gives me."
The actor also disclosed that footage depicting Edwards' sentencing was ultimately removed from the final broadcast.
Huw Edwards admitted to making indecent images of children
| PAAccording to Mr Clunes, the excised scene included the judge's remarks acknowledging Edwards had been "one of the most famous people in the country" before noting his career was "now in ruins."
Edwards himself has spoken out against the production, criticising the makers for failing to consult him before proceeding.
"[They] made no attempt to check with me the truth of any aspect of their narrative before going ahead with the production," he told the Daily Mail. "They belatedly asked for a response after the drama had been made, while reserving the right to edit any such response."
The former newsreader also raised concerns about whether contributors had received payment, adding that he is working on his own account of events despite his fragile mental health.
Channel 5 defended the programme, stating it was "based on extensive interviews with the victim, his family, the journalists who revealed his story, text exchanges between the victim and Edwards, and court reporting" and produced in accordance with Ofcom's Broadcasting Code.