Martin Clunes has revealed that he's not sure he could have got through his "uncomfortable" scenes on Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards without one key element in place.
The one-off Channel 5 drama sees the actor portray former BBC News presenter Huw Edwards, who was highly respected for many years until a public scandal ended with him pleading guilty to making indecent images of children. In addition to dramatising Edwards's fall from grace, the feature-length programme focuses on how the story affected 'Ryan' (not his real name), an alleged teenage victim of the former presenter portrayed by Under Salt Marsh star Osian Morgan.
Speaking to press, Clunes explained that dark stories like that of Power "can be uncomfortable" for an actor to navigate, "but it's all part of the job and you just have to go there".
The actor noted that having concrete material to work from made a significant difference. "Sometimes it's harder when a role is more nebulous and you can't pin your performance on something," he said, "but we had transcripts of text messages between Huw Edwards and Ryan, and they do appear in the script, so we breathed life into them."
The emotional toll of those scenes was clearly felt. "It was hard towards the end of the story, hearing Osian's vulnerable voice when Edwards was bullying him, and the hurt of this boy reaching out in a sensitive way," Clunes said. "I didn't feel very nice at the end of those scenes."
Though Edwards and Ryan's interactions took place remotely over the phone, both Clunes and Morgan were present on set throughout filming to support each other's performances and foster a sense of "intimacy". Clunes added that it was also "good to have Osian in the room to talk to afterwards" following particularly draining moments.
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Ultimately, it was the familiar faces behind the camera that proved most crucial. "I was working with the same camera crew that we had on Out There, who I adore, so I was among friends. I don't know how I would have done it otherwise," he said.
According to Channel 5's synopsis, the drama "paints an unflinching portrait of what it is like for the vulnerable to be groomed by powerful figures."
Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards premieres on Channel 5 on Tuesday 24 March 2026.
