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BBC news presenter Huw Edwards resigns from broadcaster

The organization said the resignation was prompted by "medical advice" from his doctors.

The organization said the resignation was prompted by "medical advice" from his doctors.

Broadcasting House, the headquarters of the BBC, as it appeared in 2014. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons, Graphic by The Desk)
Broadcasting House, the headquarters of the BBC, as it appeared in 2014. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons, Graphic by The Desk)

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) says well-known news presenter Huw Edwards has resigned following certain medical advice from his doctors.

His resignation comes about a year after Edwards’ wife named his as the target of a scandal that involved the newsreader paying a young man in exchange for certain risqué images.

The scandal was first reported by The Sun newspaper, which claimed that Edwards — who was not named in the initial reports — paid a former drug addict tens of thousands of British pounds (around $45,000) in exchange for sexually-explicit images.

Edwards was suspended by the broadcaster while it investigated allegations of workplace policies and sexual misconduct. One of those investigations centered around how the BBC handled its investigative process after a person complained about Edwards’ behavior. The BBC later apologized for certain missteps related to their processes.

Edwards has not appeared on the BBC since last July.

His resignation on Monday did not appear to be directly connected to the scandal. The BBC did not say what specific advice his medical doctors offered, or why he would be unable to fulfill his duties as a broadcast journalist moving forward.

“After 40 years of service, Huw has explained that his decision was made on the basis of medical advice from his doctors,” a spokesperson for the BBC said in a statement distributed to reporters early Monday morning. “The BBC has accepted his resignation which it believes will allow all parties to move forward.”

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is a nationally-recognized, award-winning journalist who has covered the business of media, technology, radio and television for more than 10 years. He is the publisher of The Desk and contributes to Know Techie, Digital Content Next and StreamTV Insider. He previously worked for Thomson Reuters, the Walt Disney Company, McNaughton Newspapers and Tribune Broadcasting.
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