High profile UK TV news presenter Huw Edwards, who has been off air since last year after allegations that he paid a young person thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos, has resigned following medical advice, the broadcaster said.

Edwards, 62, was the BBC’s highest paid news presenter and is a household name in Britain, anchoring the “BBC News at Ten” bulletin for more than two decades.

He announced the death of Queen Elizabeth to the nation in 2022 and has led coverage of some of Britain’s biggest events, including elections, royal weddings and the 2012 Olympics.

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

“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.”