BBC anchor Huw Edwards has resigned amid accusations he paid a teenager more than $45,000 for sexually explicit images.

Edwards, one of the network’s most well-known faces, has been off-air for nearly a year.

“He was the BBC’s most high-profile news anchor, often chosen to front coverage of major national events,” BBC noted.

The “News at Ten” host reportedly stepped down because of ‘medical advice.’

“Huw Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC,” a statement from BBC said.

“After 40 years of service, Huw has explained that his decision was made on the basis of medical advice from his doctors,” the statement continued.

“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,” it added.

Per BBC:

His departure comes nine months after his wife said he had been admitted to hospital with “serious mental health issues”.

Police did not take action against him, saying there was no evidence that a criminal offence had been committed.

The allegations arose when the Sun newspaper claimed an unnamed BBC presenter had paid a young person for explicit photos.

The paper’s source was the mother and step-father of the young person, but a letter issued on the young person’s behalf by a lawyer described their account as “rubbish”.

The paper and the BBC also reported several further claims of inappropriate behaviour, and the BBC launched an internal investigation.

On Monday, the mother of the young person told The Sun her family had been suffering “immensely for nearly a year”.

From the New York Post:

A bombshell report, penned by The Sun, included allegations from the teen’s mother who claimed that a male BBC TV presenter had been requesting photos from her then-17-year old child.

The mother said the teen was paid over three years to help fund her child’s crack cocaine addiction, according to The Sun. The outlet did not reveal Edwards’ name — only that he was a a well-known male BBC staffer — prompting several TV personalities to publicly announce that it wasn’t them.

Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, issued a statement on July 12, 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.”

A second report in July by The Sun revealed that the BBC had suspended the presenter following the revelations. The 62-year-old host has not been on the air since then.

At the time, the BBC said that the Metropolitan Police had completed its investigation into Edwards and would not take any action against him.

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