Newsreader Hugh Edwards has resigned from the BBC, the corporation has said.

BBC Said that the decision has been taken “on medical advice”.

This comes nine months after he faced charges over the explicit images.

edwards, Who was it BBC’s highest-earning newsreaderBut a teenager was accused of paying thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photographs.

A BBC spokesperson said: “Huw Edwards Has resigned today and left the BBC. After 40 years of service, Hugh explained that his decision was made based on the medical advice of his doctors.

“The BBC has accepted his resignation and believes this will allow all parties to move forward. We do not feel it is appropriate to comment further.”

In February, BBC Apologized to the family at the center of those allegations The way it handled his complaint.

The corporation was accused of not responding quickly enough to complaints from the family of the young man concerned.

The allegations first surfaced in a story published by The Sun on Friday 7 July.

It was alleged that Edwards paid a teenager more than £35,000 for sexually explicit photographs.

The newspaper did not reveal the name of the former BBC presenter at the time.

Five days later, the Metropolitan Police said it would take no further action. Did not believe that any criminal activity had occurred,

The young man at the center of the story said in a letter to BBC News through his lawyers that nothing inappropriate or illegal happened.

In the days after the story first broke, there was intense speculation on social media.

Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, later He was confirmed as the person at the center of the allegations.,

He said in a statement released at the time that he was “suffering from serious mental health problems” and was “receiving in-patient care in hospital”.

Edwards, the main presenter of BBC News at Ten since 2003, has been absent from the screens since the story first broke.

His resignation ends a 40-year career at the BBC, which included presenting coverage of the 2019 general election results and reporting the death of the late. Queen Elizabeth II In 2022.