British state TV sex scandal host named

BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been accused of paying a teen for inappropriate pictures

Veteran anchor Huw Edwards has been revealed as the BBC presenter accused of soliciting sexually explicit photos from a teenager. Edwards was named by his wife Vicky Flind, who said that her 61-year-old husband had been hospitalized after the allegations were made public. 

“I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family,” Flind told the media on Wednesday. “I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.” 

Flind said her husband was suffering from “serious mental health issues,” and has been “treated for severe depression in recent years.” She added that his condition “greatly worsened” in the wake of the controversy.

Edwards is “now receiving in-patient hospital care where he'll stay for the foreseeable future,” Flind said.

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The scandal erupted last week after the tabloid Sun published claims that an unnamed BBC presenter had spent around $45,000 on soliciting sexually explicit images from a minor, who is now 20. The broadcaster said that it was aware of the allegations and suspended the staffer in question on Sunday.

The Metropolitan Police Service, however, announced that its detectives came to the conclusion that there was “no information to indicate that a criminal offense has been committed.”

Described by the BBC as one of Britain’s “most high-profile broadcasters,” Edwards joined the network in 1984 and quickly rose through the ranks. He worked as a political reporter for BBC Wales and was eventually promoted to Ten O’Clock News, the channel’s flagship program. 

Edwards presented or commented on many major events, including the Brexit referendum, Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond and Platinum Jubilee, and the coronation of King Charles III.