Chris Evans has topped the list of the BBC’s
best-paid stars.
He made between £2.2m and £2.25m in
2016/2017, while Claudia Winkleman is the
BBC’s highest-paid female celebrity, earning
between £450,000 and £500,000.
Match of the Day’s Gary Lineker earned
between £1.75m and £1.8m, the BBC annual
report said.
Director general Tony Hall said there was
“more to do” on gender and diversity.
The figures reveal large disparities between
what men and women are paid.
There is also disparity between what white
stars and those from a black, Asian and
minority ethnic (BAME) background are paid.
George Alagiah, Jason Mohammad and
Trevor Nelson are the highest paid BAME
stars, each receiving between £250,000 and
£300,000.
The highest-paid female star with a BAME
background is BBC news presenter Mishal
Husain, who received between £200,000
and £250,000.
It is the first time the pay details of stars
earning more than £150,000 have been
made public.
The revelations are required under the BBC’s
new Royal Charter and encompass 96 of its
top stars.
The annual report contains pay information
in bands and does not reveal exact amounts.
Nor does it include stars who receive their
pay through BBC Worldwide, the
corporation’s commercial arm.
The figures quoted only refer to the amount
of licence fee money each person receives
and do not include their earnings from
other broadcasters or commercial activities.
It does not include many stars paid through
independent production companies.
The list also does not distinguish between
people with multiple jobs within the BBC
and those with just one.
The figures also show disparities in pay for
people working on the same show,
including the judges on Strictly Come
Dancing.
Head judge Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli
are in the £200,000-£250,000 band, while
Craig Revel Horwood and Darcey Bussell get
between £150,000 and £200,000.
Tess Daly, Winkleman’s Strictly Come Dancing
co-host, was paid between £350,000 and
£400,000.
The BBC is alone among the UK’s major
broadcasters in releasing details of its on-air
and on-screen talent.
Talent pay is considerably higher in the
commercial sector.
Overall, 25 men on the talent list receive
more than £250,000, compared to just nine
women.
As he left the BBC earlier after his Radio 2
breakfast show, Chris Evans said it was right
“on balance” that star salaries were being
disclosed.
“We are the ultimate public company I think,
and therefore it’s probably right and proper
people know what we get paid,” he told
reporters.
Analysis by Amol Rajan, media editor
The revelation that the BBC’s highest-paid
on-air stars are Chris Evans and Gary Lineker
won’t surprise many licence fee payers – but
their salaries might. They won’t enjoy the
coming headlines; neither will Alan Yentob, a
bete noire of Britain’s press, who is on the
list.
Right across the media industry today,
executives outside the BBC are thinking
about who they might approach with a juicy
offer, agents are fielding calls from clients
saying “But you told me he was paid X!!!”,
and journalists in the commercial sector are
thinking “That lucky rascal!”.
These 96 names know they have two
bosses: Internal managers at the BBC, and
the public. Their interests have clashed over
this disclosure. Now the former – BBC
executives – will have to manage the fallout,
while the latter – licence-fee payers – think
hard about value for money.
Casualty star Derek Thompson is the BBC’s
highest paid actor, receiving between
£350,000 and £400,000 over the last
financial year.
Amanda Mealing, who also stars in Casualty
as well as Holby City, is the corporation’s
highest paid actress, receiving between
£250,000 and £300,000.
Peter Capaldi, the outgoing star of Doctor
Who, was paid between £200,000 and
£250,000.
