The BBC has announced that long-standing newsreader Huw Edwards has resigned from his role based on "medical advice".
The broadcaster shared news of his departure in a short statement issued today (April 22).
"Huw Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC," it reads. "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."
Related: BBC issues apology to family at centre of Huw Edwards scandal
Edwards has been off air since July 2023, after The Sun published allegations that a BBC presenter had paid a young person for sexually explicit photos. The BBC later suspended a presenter following The Sun's reports.
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On July 12, 2023, Edwards' wife Vicky Flind named him as the BBC presenter who had been suspended, saying that he intended to respond to allegations made in the press "once well enough to do so".
In her statement, she confirmed that Edwards was receiving in-patient hospital care "for the foreseeable future", adding that she had spoken publicly "out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children".
Shortly after the initial report from The Sun, the BBC commissioned a review of its non-editorial complaints policies and processes, conducted by Deloitte.
Findings from the independent report, published in February this year, found there was a need for "greater consistency" in how complaints at the corporation are processed.
With regards to the Huw Edwards complaint specifically, Leigh Tavaziva, the BBC Group chief operating officer, said: "The report identifies specific process shortcomings in the presenter case.
"The initial complaint in this case was not escalated quickly enough to senior management and we have apologised to the complainant for this."
Edwards joined the BBC as a news trainee in 1984 and became a high-profile figure at BBC News.
During his career with the broadcaster, he was best known for being the lead presenter of the BBC News at 10 and leading the corporation's coverage of major national and international events including royal weddings and general elections.
In September 2022, the newsreader was praised for leading the BBC's coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's death.
Emily is an experienced freelance entertainment writer and editor, reporting on all things TV, film, soaps and showbiz. An NCTJ-qualified journalist, with a First Class Honours degree in Journalism from the University of Sussex, Emily is a former Deputy News Editor and Evening News Editor at Digital Spy. She has previously worked at Hello magazine, BBC South News and GoodtoKnow.
A small and big-screen obsessive – with subscriptions to every TV and film service under the sun – Emily knows her movie stars from soap stars, and is always clued up on the latest reality show dumping, just-dropped trailer or off-screen spat. She's interviewed a number of celebrities over the years, with highlights including The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett and GMB's Kate Garraway (who "loved" her trousers).
Emily counts Sharon Horgan and Julia Davis as her TV heroes, and is a loyal Wes Anderson fan. LinkedIn
