British TV news anchor, Huw Edwards, on Monday (Apr 22) resigned from the BBC on “medical advice”, the broadcaster said. The resignation comes nine months after he became embroiled in a scandal over sexually explicit images involving a teenager. 

The veteran anchor has been off the air since last year after controversy erupted over allegations that he paid a young person thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos. Edwards has not publicly commented on the issue.

The 62-year-old is one of the most popular faces in Britain. He was the BBC’s highest-paid news presenter and anchored the “BBC News at Ten” bulletin for more than two decades. 

In a statement, the broadcaster 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,” it added. 

“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,” it further noted. 

After reports emerged of explicit images controversy, the BBC issued an apology to the family of the man who said that Edwards had paid for sexually explicit pictures when he was a teenager. In May 2023, the man’s family had complained to the BBC about Edwards. 

Edwards’ wife Vicky Flind said last July that he was “suffering from serious mental health issues” and had been admitted to the hospital. 

However, as per a report commissioned by the broadcaster, two months later, senior leaders were informed of the issue when The Sun tabloid was ready to publish a story detailing the allegations. 

The man, when he was a teen, had worked with Edwards. The family said that he had used the money to fuel a crack cocaine addiction. 

However, the man, whose identity has never been given, has dismissed those allegations as “rubbish”. 

(With inputs from agencies)