BBC salaries: Who is the highest paid BBC presenter?

The BBC has revealed its highest on-air earners for 2021/22.

The corporation’s annual report discloses the salaries of some of television highest profile figures, including Gary Lineker and Zoe Ball.

Yet it has seen a number of departures of late with the likes of morning presenter Dan Walker joining Channel 5 for a primetime slot.

Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Andrew Marr have also left the BBC in the wake of news the licence fee will be frozen for the next two years.

Here’s who topped the BBC earnings table over the past 12 months.

Who is the highest paid BBC presenter?

New figures show that Lineker is the BBC’s top earner of its on-air talent for the fifth consecutive year - and the only name to earn over £1 million annually.

The 61-year-old pundit and former footballer was paid between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999 in 2021/2022 for work including Match Of The Day and Sports Personality Of The Year – a reduction of £10,000 on the previous year.

Lineker first topped the list for 2017/18 with a pay bracket of £1,750,000 to £1,759,999, and in 2020 it was announced he had taken a voluntary pay cut.

Who else is among the BBC’s top earners?

Zoe Ball remains the broadcaster’s second highest paid talent, with a salary of £980,000 to £984,999, but figures show her salary falling for a second consecutive year.

Her salary has now slipped to below £1 million and reflects approximately 210 editions of The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on Radio 2.

Alan Shearer has seen a year-on-year increase of £60,000, bringing his salary to £450,000-£454,999, which puts him joint third with Steve Wright, whose salary this year reflects a £15,000 decrease.

The corporation’s annual report for 2021/22, which also marks its centenary, shows four out of the top 10 best paid names have seen their salaries fall.

The only new addition to the top 10 is Greg James, whose salary has increased by £80,000.

The 36-year-old earns between £390,000 and £394,999 for work including the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, Rewinder on Radio 4, Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Out Out! Live, with Sports Personality Of The Year also listed.

This year’s top 10 features fewer women that last year, dropping from four to three.

The gender pay gap at the BBC has widened for the first time since the broadcaster began recording figures in 2017.

The corporation’s annual report for 2021/22, which also marks its centenary, shows the median gap increased from 5.2% to 5.9%.

Lauren Laverne does not feature in this year’s top 10, with figures showing her salary has fallen by £15,000 to the bracket of £380,000-£384,999.

Other notable increases on the overall list of top earning on-air talent, as shown in the annual report, include Naga Munchetty with a £110,000 increase and Amol Rajan with an increase of £85,000.

Victoria Derbyshire, meanwhile, has seen a £70,000 increase.

Graham Norton is also absent from the list after departing Radio 2 in December 2020 to start a show at Virgin Radio.

Who has left the BBC over the last year?

The BBC has seen a number of high-profile on-air departures over the last year, with Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, Andrew Marr and Dan Walker all leaving for rival broadcasters.

It comes after culture secretary Nadine Dorries announced earlier this year that the BBC’s licence fee will be frozen under inflation for the next two years.

BBC highest on-air earners - top 10

Gary Lineker £1,350,000-1,354,999 (down from £1,360,000-£1,364,999)

Zoe Ball £980,000-£984,999 (down from £1,130,000-£1,134,999)

Alan Shearer £450,000-£454,999 (up from £390,000-£394,999)

= Steve Wright £450,000-£454,999 (down from £465,000-£469,999)

Stephen Nolan £415,000-£419,999 (up from £405,000-£409,999)

Fiona Bruce £410,000-£414,999 (up from £405,000-£409,999)

= Huw Edwards £410,000-£414,999 (down from £425,000-£429,999)

Vanessa Feltz £400,000-£404,999 (up from £390,000-£394,999)

= Scott Mills £400,000-£404,999 (up from £375,000-£379,999)

Greg James £390,000-£394,999 (up from £310,000-£314,999)