The BBC has always been a significant player in the entertainment industry, and its talent roster is no exception. Every year, the public eagerly awaits the reveal of the highest-paid stars on the BBC payroll. Amidst scandals haunting the BBC from Huw Edwards to the recent Strictly drama that has forced the bosses to make changes to 2025, the BBC list of salaries of these celebs may spark more controversy.
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For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the five highest-paid stars reflect a mix of longstanding favourites and influential new faces including Huw Edwards - who despite not working for the past year is the third on the list.
BBC's 5 highest paid stars of 2023-2024
Salary details of on-air talent have been published in the BBC's annual report for 2023 - 2024. This transparency aims to ensure public accountability, given that the BBC is funded by the license fee paid by UK households. The list showcases a mix of sports commentators, radio hosts, and news presenters, reflecting the network's diverse programming and the talent required to maintain its high standards.
Some famous BBC faces such as Michael McIntyre and Claudia Winkleman are not included in the list as they are paid through production companies like BBCStudios - a commercial entity, reports BBC. Here are its top 5 earners for the last fiscal year:
Gary Lineker
The BBC pundit has yet again topped the charts of pay list with a £1.35 million salary. According to the report, Lineker earned from £1,350,000 to £1,354,999 from hosting Match of the Day, Premier League, FA Cup and Sports Personality of the Year. The former England player has been the face of BBC Sports for 25 years but often receives complaints that he earns too much from the public service, reports Reuters. His salary has remained constant from 2022 - 2023 and 2021 - 2022.
Zoe Ball
BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show presenter Zoe Ball is the second highest paid celeb on BBC’s list this year. While she’s second on the list with a salary of a whopping £950,000 to £954,999, she’s the highest-earning radio presenter employed by the BBC. RadioToday reports that the 53-year-old earns £4,750 per show. Although her salary has dropped down from 2022 - 2023 when she earned somewhere between £980,000 - £984,999.
Huw Edwards
The BBC presenter whose sex scandal was the controversy forthe networkin 2023 is surprisingly third on the list. The BBC’s annual report confirms he earned more than what he did in 2022 - 2023. In 2023 - 2024, despite getting suspended in July 2023, Huw Edwards made somewhere between £475,000 to £479,999 - a £40,000 pay rise from last fiscal year.
Greg James
BBC Radio 1 Breakfast show presenter Greg James is 4th on the list, earning up to £419,000 annually. This essentially means £1,886 per show. His pay has seen a significant increase from 2022 - 2023 where he earned a salary of £395,000 to £399,999. Greg started his journey on BBC Radio 1's drive-time slot before moving on to the breakfast show, reports The Sun. Over the years, he has fronted the second series of Sounds Like Friday Night on BBC One and also helped out presenting The Biggest Weekend.
Stephen Nolan
The fifth on the list is Stephen Nolan who earned a salary of £405,000 to £409,999. Nolan is the star of BBC shows like The Nolan Show on Radio Ulster, Nolan Live on BBC One (Northern Ireland), and The Stephen Nolan Show on 5 Live. His earnings have gone up from 2022 - 2023 when he earned a salary of £400,000 to £404,999.
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Sources Used
BBC: BBC pay 2023-2024: The full list of star salaries
Reuters: Gary Lineker tops BBC pay list with 1.35 million pound salary
Radio Today: Zoe Ball named as highest paid radio presenter at the BBC on £4,750 per show
The Sun: Who is Greg James, what is his net worth and when will he be on The Great Celebrity Bake Off?
