BBC reveals highest-paid stars: Gary Lineker, Zoe Ball and Greg James among broadcaster’s top earners
The BBC has published its annual report including details of the highest paid stars, as bosses deal with the fallout from allegations made against a presenter.
Gary Lineker is once again the broadcaster’s biggest earner, taking home between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999 in 2022-23 – the same amount as the previous year – for his work on Match Of The Day, Sports Personality Of The Year, the World Cup and FA Cup.
Zoe Ball, who presents Radio 2’s breakfast show, is second on the BBC list, earning between £980,000 and £984,999 for her work on the programme, plus a Terry Wogan tribute. Like Lineker, her salary has not changed in the last 12 months.
The top 10 is made up of six male and four female stars – a change from seven men and three women last year – with football commentator Alan Shearer, news presenters Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce, and radio stars Lauren Laverne and Greg James also among the highest earners.
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However, the list does not paint a full picture as the organisation does not have to make public the salaries of stars who are paid through its commercial arm BBC Studios or independent production companies – so big names such as Claudia Winkleman, Tess Daly, Graham Norton, Alex Jones and Michael McIntyre, and the top stars of shows such as EastEnders, are noticeably absent.
In the top 10, Edwards and Laverne, along with former Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce and newsreader Sophie Raworth, saw increases in their pay from the previous year – although salaries for many have remained the same or dipped slightly amid ongoing scrutiny of the BBC over the amounts earned by its top talent.
Edwards is the corporation’s highest paid newsreader, with a pay bracket of £435,000 – £439,999 – up from £410,000 – £414,000 last year. This puts him fourth on the list behind Shearer, who saw a drop in his earnings from £450,000 – £454,999 in 2021-22, to £445,000 – £449,999 this year.
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.
Lauren Laverne hosts Desert Island Discs on Radio 4 and shows on Radio 6 Music. Pic: BBC/Ray Burmiston
Along with Laverne and Raworth he is new to the top 10, as Steve Wright, Vanessa Feltz and Scott Mills have dropped down after leaving their respective BBC shows.
Feltz, who announced in July last year that she was leaving her shows on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio London, was previously in the salary bracket of £400,000 – £404,999. Mills left his BBC Radio 1 show after 24 years in August, but continues to present in the afternoon slot on BBC Radio 2.
Lineker first topped the list in 2017-18, taking a voluntary pay cut of £10,000 in 2020 after pressure from female staff for greater pay parity.
Other stars among the high earners this year include George Alagiah, Naga Munchetty and Amol Rajan (all in 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 also includes salary details for bosses, with director-general Tim Davie taking home between £525,000 and £529,999 in 2022-23.
“I am proud of the content we have delivered – the very best of the BBC – from royal programming to wonderful sporting moments and coverage of the Ukraine war,” Mr Davie said as the figures were released. “We have seen this again recently, with Eurovision, the Coronation and Glastonbury.
“It remains a period of change, financial pressures and great competition in the media market. Our task is not always easy and we have to make some difficult choices.
“But these are challenges we must embrace as we know that the BBC is needed now more than ever, in an age of polarisation and increasing disinformation.”
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Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
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One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
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Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
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