Huw Edwards resigns from BBC on 'medical advice'

Huw Edwards has resigned from the BBC "on the basis of medical advice", the corporation has said.

The newsreader has been off air since July last year following reports claiming he had paid a young person for sexually explicit images.

A statement from a BBC spokesperson said: "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 appropriate to comment further."

In the days after the reports first surfaced, Mr Edwards' wife said he was receiving in-patient hospital care and suffering "serious mental health issues."

In a letter to BBC News, the young person at the centre of the Edwards controversy said via lawyers nothing inappropriate or unlawful happened with the then-unnamed presenter.

Edwards was born in Bridgend and brought up in Llangennech, Carmarthenshire. He studied at Llanelli Grammar School before going on to Cardiff University, graduating in French.

He joined the BBC as a trainee in 1984 and spent four decades with the broadcaster, leading on historic events including the Queen's funeral in 2022 and most recently the coronation of the King in May 2023.

He was the BBC’s highest paid newsreader, with a pay bracket of £435,000–£439,999 in the year 2022/2023, according to the corporation’s most recent annual report.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...