BBC anchor Huw Edwards has resigned from his position following a sex scandal involving the solicitation of sexually explicit photos from a teenager. Edwards, a well-known face on British TV and the longtime host of BBC’s “News at Ten,” was forced off the air last July after his wife, Vicky Flind, exposed his alleged payment of over $45,000 to a teenager for explicit images.
In a statement released on Monday, a BBC spokesperson confirmed Edwards’ resignation, stating that it was based on medical advice from his doctors. The network has accepted his resignation, believing it will allow all parties involved to move forward. The spokesperson added that further comments on the matter would not be appropriate.
The scandal came to light through a bombshell report by The Sun, which included allegations from the teenager’s mother. She claimed that a male BBC TV presenter, later revealed to be Edwards, had been requesting explicit photos from her then-17-year-old child. According to The Sun, the teenager was paid over three years to support their crack cocaine addiction.
Flind, in a statement issued on July 12, disclosed her husband’s identity and cited his “serious mental health issues” as the reason behind his actions. She mentioned that Edwards had been hospitalized and had previously received treatment for severe depression. Flind expressed that the recent events had exacerbated his condition.
Following the revelations, the BBC suspended Edwards, and he has not appeared on air since then. The Metropolitan Police completed their investigation into Edwards and decided not to take any action against him, as confirmed by the BBC. The network had previously paused its own fact-finding investigation at the request of the police.
In the aftermath of the scandal, a review of the BBC’s non-editorial complaints process was commissioned. The review, led by BBC Group chief operating officer Leigh Tavaziva and Deloitte under the direction of Simon Cuerden, identified shortcomings in the network’s procedures. Tavaziva acknowledged the need for better coordination and escalation of non-editorial complaints within the BBC, ensuring swift action and appropriate handling.
The report highlighted specific process failures in the presenter’s case, with the initial complaint not being escalated promptly to senior management. The BBC has apologized to the complainant for this oversight and is implementing an action plan to address the identified shortcomings.
