Huw Edwards, the BBC presenter who was embroiled in allegations over funds for sexually specific pictures, has resigned from the UK nationwide broadcaster.
Edwards, the broadcaster’s best-paid information reader, instructed the BBC that the choice was made on the premise of medical recommendation from his medical doctors. He had spent a while in hospital after the allegations emerged final summer time.
The broadcaster mentioned: “The BBC has accepted his resignation, which it believes will enable all events to maneuver ahead. We don’t imagine it applicable to remark additional.”
Edwards was on the centre of a media frenzy final summer time after reviews emerged of an initially unnamed BBC presenter’s alleged relationships with a sequence of younger individuals.
His spouse Vicky Flind, who confirmed his id because the particular person on the centre of the allegations after weeks of hypothesis, mentioned Edwards had because of this suffered severe psychological well being points. The 61-year-old father of 5, who lives in London, has prior to now talked about his melancholy.
The police concluded that the presenter had not damaged any legal guidelines.
Edwards is without doubt one of the greatest recognized TV presenters within the UK and offered the BBC’s flagship Information at Ten night information programme for twenty years. He additionally led the broadcaster’s protection for nationwide occasions akin to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and King Charles III’s coronation.
His resignation can be a reduction for BBC executives, not least as a result of he has remained certainly one of its greatest paid workers regardless of not working for nearly 12 months. The Welsh journalist earned greater than £430,000 final 12 months.
The BBC confronted questions over its dealing with of the affair, and whether or not it ought to have executed extra to research the allegations earlier. The BBC has prior to now been criticised over its dealing with of scandals, together with the investigation into former presenter and serial sexual abuser and rapist Jimmy Savile, who died in 2011.
The BBC apologised to the household of the younger particular person on the centre of the allegations after a overview into the effectiveness of its non-editorial complaints insurance policies and processes. The overview by Deloitte confirmed the necessity for higher consistency throughout the BBC in how complaints are processed.
The choice by Edwards additionally implies that the BBC can draw up plans for protection of the UK common election anticipated later this 12 months with out having to explicitly sideline certainly one of its important presenters.
Some BBC executives mentioned Clive Myrie, the 59-year-old BBC information reader, is seen as a favorite to succeed Edwards as each lead presenter of the Information at Ten in addition to its election protection, though well-known BBC journalists Laura Kuenssberg and Sophie Raworth have additionally been rumoured.
A number of allegations have been made in opposition to Edwards by The Solar in addition to the BBC’s personal programmes. The Solar first reported a household’s claims that their little one was paid tens of 1000’s of kilos for specific pictures over three years. A lawyer for the particular person final 12 months disputed The Solar’s reporting.
BBC Information additionally reported claims by BBC workers of “inappropriate behaviour” in opposition to the presenter. Edwards has not commented on the claims.
