He has been ‘off the air’ since last year after allegations he had paid a young man thousands of pounds to buy erotic pictures
BBC’s highest-paid presenter quits for ‘medical reasons’
Popular British presenter Hugh Edwards has resigned and left the BBC, the company said.
A BBC spokesman said: “Hugh Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC. After 40 years of service, Hugh 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 on. We do not believe it is appropriate to comment further.”
Edwards, 62, was suspended by the broadcaster in July last year following allegations he received indecent images from a teenager in exchange for money. Monday’s announcement came three weeks after The Times reported that Edwards would still be the company’s highest-paid presenter in July’s annual accounts, having earned up to £439,000 last year despite the suspension. The company confirmed that Edwards was not compensated.
BBC bosses were reported to have braced themselves for a backlash over Edwards taking home his six-figure salary despite being off the air for eight months. He was the company’s highest-paid presenter, on a salary of £435,000-£439,999 in the year 2022-23, according to the company’s most recent annual report. This was from £410,000-414,000 the previous year.
Edwards has not made any public statement since being named as the BBC presenter at the center of the allegations. The veteran presenter, according to a statement from his wife, was facing “severe mental health problems” and, after the controversy arose, had received hospital treatment after experiencing one “serious episode”. He said he would “respond to the stories that have been published when he is well enough to do so.”
Edwards has long been a fixture in covering major political and royal events. He announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II on the BBC and presented coverage of her funeral. He was also a key presenter on the King’s coronation show last year.
Edwards was a Westminster correspondent for 13 years and played a key role in the BBC’s political reporting, taking over election coverage from long-serving David Dimbleby in 2019. He told the Radio Times in 2019: “I’ll tell you a secret: the first time a senior BBC manager threw this bait at me was in 1992. So it’s been in the back of my mind ever since.”.
