BBC News anchor Huw Edwards has revealed that he was more stressed in the hours leading up to the death of the Queen than when it came to the announcement.
The broadcaster who has fronted BBC News at Ten for almost two decades was broadcasting across the globe from around 12.30pm on August 8, when Buckingham Palace announced Her Majesty was unwell.
For six hours before her death, the star, 61, appeared on screens, keeping the nation and millions across the globe updated as members of the Royal Family flocked to Balmoral.
Speaking in a new interview with Radio Times, Huw opened up, saying: "Nick [Witchell] and I were broadcasting for five hours before that.
"When you're filling airtime like that, the capacity for making mistakes is limitless, and we could have been filling for another four hours."
Just moments after 6.30pm, Huw shared the news that Buckingham Palace had announced Her Majesty had died "peacefully" that afternoon.
While many believed that news outlets had been informed of the Queen's death hours before it was made public, Huw clarified that he was made aware just 10 seconds before he announced the news.
He clarified that the confirmation had been sent by the palace on the newswires and he instantly swapped to a black tie in fitting with the mourning uniform.
Despite the news being the most devastating and biggest news story of the century, Huw praised his colleagues for remaining calm.
He explained that producers are normally "shouting in your ears" but instead, they said 'The announcement is here', and encouraged Huw to take his time with the news.
"I was able to pause for a few seconds, to make sure I would do it flawlessly, to ensure I was happy with the announcement being in place, to check that it was correctly on the autocue," he explained.
Many at the time noted that Huw had a slight delay when the BBC showed the Union Flag above the palace at halfmast, before he shared the news but he said: "The important thing was that it had to be done properly. So I paused, and only then did I do it."
As he continued to lead the coverage until the day of the Queen's funeral, it appears it took it's toll on Huw – who had left his mum concerned.
He explained that his mum had sent him several text messages sharing her worries that he looked "exhausted" and that she could see "huge bags" under his eyes during the extensive coverage.
During the national mourning period in the days leading up to the State Funeral of Her Majesty, Huw managed to keep himself mentally and physically distracted.
