Acclaimed BBC anchor Huw Edwards has resigned amid a sex scandal involving the solicitation of sexually explicit photos from a teenager. The longtime host of BBC’s “News at Ten” was yanked off the air after being unmasked last July by his wife as having allegedly paid more than $45,000 to a teenager for the tawdry images.
“Huw Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC,” a network spokesperson said in a statement on Monday. “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.”
The scandal erupted last July when Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, issued a statement revealing her husband’s identity and saying Edwards was suffering “serious mental health issues” and had been hospitalized. “As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years,” Flind said. “The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters.”
The BBC suspended Edwards following the revelations, and the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation. The police have since completed their investigation and have decided not to take any action against Edwards.
In the wake of the scandal, the BBC has commissioned a review of its non-editorial complaints process. The review, which was led by BBC Group chief operating officer Leigh Tavaziva and Deliotte, identified shortcomings in the network’s process. The BBC has accepted the findings of the review and is implementing an action plan to address the shortcomings.
