Huw Edwards resigns after 40 years 'on medical advice', BBC announces

Newsreader Huw Edwards has resigned and left the BBC, the corporation has said. The 62-year-old broadcaster has been off air since last July following newspaper reports claiming he paid a young person for sexually explicit images.

He was the BBC's most high-profile news anchor with an approximate annual salary of £440,000 and often chosen to front coverage of major national events.

A statement released on Monday says: "Huw Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC. After 40 years of service, Huw has explained that his decision was made on the basis of medical advice from his doctors.

"The BBC has accepted his resignation which it believes will allow all parties to move forward. We don't believe it is appropriate to comment further."

The Sun reported in July last year that the family of a man had complained about a BBC presenter paying the young man, who was 17 when the interaction with the presenter was said to have begun, for photos.The presenter was not named by The Sun, and the BBC did not name him, even when he was suspended, but his wife eventually named him as the presenter at the heart of the scandal.

The BBC has since apologised for how it handled complaints made against the veteran presenter, saying the complaint was not “escalated quickly enough” and that it has now “changed its processes.”

Edwards, who was previously treated for severe depression, reportedly had a severe mental health episode during the scandal and was admitted to hospital for treatment. He never returned to work as the BBC is believed to have been under pressure to replace him as the channel’s chief news presenter.

Edwards reported on some of the biggest news stories of the day prior to his suspension, including the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. In January 2024 it was reported that Edwards was still too unwell to discuss his future at the BBC.