Huw Edwards: Who is the BBC presenter?

BBC News presenter Huw Edwards, who has been named arsenic the presenter astatine the centre of an explicit photograph row, is 1 of the UK's astir high-profile broadcasters.

He has been the BBC's prime to beforehand sum of large nationalist events, a reflection of however well-regarded helium is by the corporation.

Trusted by viewers, helium has implicit decades built a estimation arsenic a reliable and calming beingness connected screen.

Last Wednesday, connected what transpired to beryllium his past time connected aerial for BBC News earlier the ungraded broke, Edwards was broadcasting from Edinburgh arsenic Scotland prepared to greet King Charles.

Less than a week later, the 61-year-old's broadcasting vocation is nether superior pressure, aft his woman issued a connection naming him arsenic the BBC presenter facing a bid of damaging allegations.

He joined BBC News arsenic a trainee successful 1984 and helium yet secured a occupation arsenic governmental newsman for BBC Wales. Just 2 years later, helium became BBC Wales's parliamentary correspondent.

By the aboriginal 1990s helium was the BBC's main governmental analogous astatine Westminster.

He became a regular look connected the BBC News channel, past called BBC News 24, aft it launched successful 1997.

In its aboriginal days, the transmission was plagued by method difficulties, but Edwards' assured and level-headed show successful challenging circumstances was said to person impressed BBC bosses.

Around the aforesaid time, Edwards was moving arsenic an occasional screen presenter connected BBC One's Six O'Clock News, 1 of the most-viewed tv quality bulletins successful the UK, becoming 1 of the programme's main anchors successful 1999.

Four years later, helium was promoted to the Ten O'Clock News, wide seen arsenic the BBC's flagship bulletin, and was progressively asked to contiguous and commentate connected large nationalist events for the BBC.

They included wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (as they were known astatine the time) successful 2011, the ceremonial of the Duke of Edinburgh (2021), the Queen's Diamond and Platinum Jubilee (2012 and 2022) and the coronation of King Charles (2023).

He was besides connected aerial erstwhile Nelson Mandela died successful 2013, and co-hosted the results of the Brexit referendum successful 2016.

But possibly the biggest azygous infinitesimal successful Edwards' agelong presenting vocation came past September, erstwhile helium announced the decease of Queen Elizabeth II.

He had started his displacement aboriginal that time pursuing rumours of the Queen's declining health, presenting rolling quality sum from 14:00 earlier confirming the Monarch's decease to the federation that evening portion wearing a achromatic tie.

As good arsenic large royal events, Edwards had precocious go the look of the BBC's wide predetermination coverage.

The Welsh broadcaster was 1 of the BBC's apical earners. In 2017, the archetypal twelvemonth the BBC was compelled by Parliament to people the salaries of its prima presenters, it was revealed Edwards made £550,000.

Following a flurry of antagonistic headlines astir the magnitude of wealth the BBC spent connected apical talent, and the disparity betwixt immoderate of its antheral and pistillate stars, Edwards took a wage cut, and six years aboriginal his wage stands astatine £435,000.

Last year, Edwards defended himself against criticism that newsreaders are overpaid comparative to their workload, aft a statement astir however hard it is to usage an autocue to work a pre-written script.

Edwards made a cameo quality arsenic himself successful the 2012 James Bond movie Skyfall, presenting a BBC News study connected a fictionalised onslaught connected the British quality work MI6.

In an interrogation with BBC Radio Cymru successful 2021, Edwards indicated helium whitethorn not person galore years near arsenic the corporation's main quality anchor owed to the demands of the role.

"The nightly quality business, aft 20 years, that tin beryllium taxing, adjacent though I inactive bask the job," helium said. "But I don't deliberation I'll beryllium doing that for long… I deliberation it's just for the viewers to get a change."

In the aforesaid year, Edwards made a Welsh-language documentary astir his career, during which helium revealed helium had suffered bouts of slump implicit 20 years, and had been near "bedridden" by his conflict with this intelligence health.

But aft a distinguished vocation astatine the BBC, Edwards' estimation is present severely damaged, perchance beyond repair.

After the Sun published allegations connected Friday that an unnamed BBC presenter had paid ample sums of wealth for explicit images of an individual, determination were days of speculation astir who the presenter mightiness be.

Over the pursuing days, the Sun, and aboriginal BBC News, released further allegations, keeping the communicative successful the headlines.

Finally, connected Wednesday, his woman Vicky Flind confirmed Edwards' individuality connected his behalf, saying she was doing truthful "primarily retired of interest for his intelligence well-being and to support our children".

"Huw is suffering from superior intelligence wellness issues," she said. "The events of the past fewer days person greatly worsened matters, helium has suffered different superior occurrence and is present receiving in-patient infirmary attraction wherever he'll enactment for the foreseeable future."

"Once good capable to bash so, helium intends to respond to the stories that person been published."