BBC reveals highest-paid stars: Gary Lineker, Zoe Ball and Greg James among broadcaster’s top earners | Ents & Arts News

The BBC has revealed its annual report together with particulars of the best paid stars, as bosses cope with the fallout from allegations made towards a presenter.

Gary Lineker is as soon as once more the broadcaster’s largest earner, taking residence between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999 in 2022-23 – the identical quantity because the earlier 12 months – for his work on Match Of The Day, Sports activities Character Of The Yr, the World Cup and FA Cup.

Zoe Ball, who presents Radio 2’s breakfast present, is second on the BBC checklist, incomes between £980,000 and £984,999 for her work on the programme, plus a Terry Wogan tribute. Like Lineker, her wage has not modified within the final 12 months.

The highest 10 is made up of six male and 4 feminine stars – a change from seven males and three girls final 12 months – with soccer commentator Alan Shearer, information presenters Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce, and radio stars Lauren Laverne and Greg James additionally among the many highest earners.

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Nevertheless, the checklist doesn’t paint a full image because the organisation doesn’t need to make public the salaries of stars who’re paid by its industrial arm BBC Studios or unbiased manufacturing firms – so huge names comparable to Claudia Winkleman, Tess Daly, Graham Norton, Alex Jones and Michael McIntyre, and the highest stars of exhibits comparable to EastEnders, are noticeably absent.

Within the prime 10, Edwards and Laverne, together with former Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce and newsreader Sophie Raworth, noticed will increase of their pay from the earlier 12 months – though salaries for a lot of have remained the identical or dipped barely amid ongoing scrutiny of the BBC over the quantities earned by its prime expertise.

Edwards is the company’s highest paid newsreader, with a pay bracket of £435,000 – £439,999 – up from £410,000 – £414,000 final 12 months. This places him fourth on the checklist behind Shearer, who noticed a drop in his earnings from £450,000 – £454,999 in 2021-22, to £445,000 – £449,999 this 12 months.

Ken Bruce, who left earlier this year after 31 years at the helm of the Radio 2 mid-morning weekday slot, was up £5,000, to £390,000 – £394,999.

Together with Laverne and Raworth he’s new to the highest 10, as Steve Wright, Vanessa Feltz and Scott Mills have dropped down after leaving their respective BBC exhibits.

Feltz, who introduced in July final 12 months that she was leaving her exhibits on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio London, was beforehand within the wage bracket of £400,000 – £404,999. Mills left his BBC Radio 1 present after 24 years in August, however continues to current within the afternoon slot on BBC Radio 2.

Lineker first topped the checklist in 2017-18, taking a voluntary pay reduce of £10,000 in 2020 after stress from feminine workers for larger pay parity.

Different stars among the many excessive earners this 12 months embrace George Alagiah, Naga Munchetty and Amol Rajan (all within the £335,000-£339,999 bracket), Laura Kuenssberg (£305,000-£309,999), and Nicky Campbell and Victoria Derbyshire (£295,000-£299,999).

The annual report additionally contains wage particulars for bosses, with director-general Tim Davie taking residence between £525,000 and £529,999 in 2022-23.

“I’m pleased with the content material we now have delivered – the perfect of the BBC – from royal programming to great sporting moments and protection of the Ukraine struggle,” Mr Davie mentioned because the figures have been launched. “We’ve got seen this once more lately, with Eurovision, the Coronation and Glastonbury.

“It stays a interval of change, monetary pressures and nice competitors within the media market. Our process shouldn’t be all the time straightforward and we now have to make some troublesome selections.

“However these are challenges we should embrace as we all know that the BBC is required now greater than ever, in an age of polarisation and rising disinformation.”