Gary Lineker is the BBC‘s highest paid star for the seventh 12 months operating with Huw Edwards in third regardless of solely being on air for 3 months following a intercourse pics scandal, in response to the company’s annual report.
New expertise pay figures launched at this time present that Edwards, 62, noticed his pay enhance shoot up from as much as £439,999 to as much as £479,999 within the 12 months ending April 2024 he was principally off-air.
This put him solely behind Match of the Day host, Gary Lineker, who was as soon as once more the BBC’s highest paid star on £1.35 million and Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball, who introduced in as much as £954,999.
Not all the BBC’s highest-earners seem within the report, with stars employed by manufacturing corporations or BBC Studios exempt to be able to keep a stage enjoying area on the business market.
Stars who’re excluded embrace Michael McIntyre, Bradley Walsh, Alex Jones, Paddy McGuinness, Claudia Winkleman, Romesh Ranganathan, Alexander Armstrong, Richard Osman, Lord Sugar and Graham Norton.
It means none of Strictly’s stars are named within the listing at a time when the programme is going through intense scrutiny over its therapy of celebrities. BBC boss Tim Davie at this time apologised for stars’ unfavorable experiences on the present.
New expertise pay figures launched at this time present that Huw Edwards, 62, noticed his pay enhance shoot up from as much as £439,999 to as much as £479,999 within the 12 months ending April 2024
Match of the Day host, Gary Lineker, was as soon as once more the BBC’s highest paid star on £1.35 million
Zoe Ball got here in second with a wage of as much as £954,999 – however this was a fall of round £30,000
The figures additionally revealed that Right this moment programme presenter Nick Robinson has damaged into the highest ten after his pay rocketed from as much as £279,000 to as a lot as £349,999, within the area of a £70,000 enhance – the most important on the listing.
Radio 1 breakfast host Greg James moved up the listing to change into the fourth highest paid star on the BBC, up from seventh final 12 months, together with his pay leaping from as much as £399,999 to £419,999 this time spherical.
Query Time and BBC Information presenter Fiona Bruce and Radio 5 Reside presenter Stephen Nolan had been in joint fifth place each getting as much as £409,999.
They had been adopted by Desert Island Discs and 6 Music host Lauren Laverne, who was paid as much as £399,999 and is considered one of 4 girls within the high ten.
Alan Shearer, who with no main worldwide soccer event on noticed his pay drop from as much as £449,999 to as a lot as £384,999, placing him seventh on the listing.
In joint ninth with Nick Robinson, was BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty, whose pay went up barely to £349,999.
A lot of the presenters listed had posted pay rises, with one other Right this moment presenter Justin Webb having fun with a couple of £40,000 pay hike, with BBC Information presenter Reeta Chakrabarti getting an excellent larger enhance within the area of £55,000 to as much as £274,999.
Radio 1 breakfast host Greg James moved up the listing to change into the fourth highest paid star
Query Time and BBC Information presenter Fiona Bruce got here in fifth with greater than £400,000
BBC Director Normal Tim Davie was the very best paid govt, however his pay didn’t rise this 12 months
However it will likely be the pay of Huw Edwards that can elevate probably the most eyebrows given his absence from TV screens for many of the 12 months in query.
His enormous pay packet, making him the very best paid newsreader on the BBC, comes regardless of the very fact he was suspended final July over the express image allegations and by no means returned to air.
The veteran newsreader was paid between £475,000 and £479,999 for the 12 months 2023/24 for 160 scheduled presenting days, BBC One information specials, election specials and different tv programming, in response to the BBC’s annual report.
This marked a rise from 2022/23, when he was paid between £435,000 and 439,999 for 180 days presenting on BBC One, in addition to information specials.
Edwards was absent from screens from when the story first broke in July 2023 till his exit in April 2024.
He was affected by severe psychological well being points and acquired in-patient hospital care.
In April, the previous Information at Ten host introduced he was stepping down from the BBC ‘on the idea of medical recommendation from his docs’.
This was 9 months after allegations he paid an adolescent hundreds of kilos for sexual photos had change into public.
The BBC’s director common Tim Davie defended the rise and stated: ‘We have stated that earlier than, no settlement fee.’
He additionally stated he was not going to ‘get into who’s spoken to who’ when requested if he had spoken to Edwards since his resignation.
Mr Davie added: ‘I feel that is inappropriate with a person case like this. Look, we’re at all times making an attempt to be very even handed with the spending of public cash and no-one needs to waste a pound.
‘However what you are making an attempt to do, and from the onset of that affair, was making an attempt to behave proportionally, pretty and navigate this appropriately.
‘I feel that is what we did and it ended up within the conclusion, everyone knows, however I feel we would not have wasted cash if we weren’t doing the appropriate factor.
‘I feel generally, many individuals on this name might be in organisations and you are making calls on what’s the appropriate and acceptable course of with regard to paying somebody when you had been understanding an final result to one thing. So, I would not go into the specifics of the person case, when it comes to the rise in pay previous to any breaking of the story.
‘, individuals do get, as you may have seen, general, our pay progress is fairly good … however individuals on the listing can be getting pay rises for prolonged accountability, and really, in the event that they’re doing extra … so that’s pretty regular enterprise, and that is what would outcome within the change.’
The BBC stated that within the 12 months 2023-24 some 35 million UK adults accessed its companies every day, and the organisation is now the one British agency within the high 5 most-used media manufacturers for younger individuals.
Three quarters of UK adults use BBC Information every week and the organisation contributed nearly £5 billion to the economic system final 12 months.
In the meantime 30 million adults hearken to BBC radio stations every week, with Radio 2 proving the preferred within the nation.
Radio 4 is the primary speech station and 6 Music the most important digital-only service, the report added.
In a bid to diversify the organisation, the BBC’s Throughout the UK plan was described as ‘mission important’ with bosses revealing they’re on trach to exceed the goal of spending £700 million outdoors of London.
Round 350 roles have been relocated outdoors of the capital, and the company says 54 p.c of its workforce is predicated elsewhere.
However the BBC admitted its licences declined by two p.c within the final 12 months, with general licence income 30 p.c lower than it was in 2010 – a drop of greater than £1 billion.
In a bid to save lots of money, the company has lowered its workforce by 10 p.c, or 2,000 roles, within the final 5 years.
And it revealed plans at this time to scrap one other 500 full-time roles.
The figures make uncomfortable studying for the company at a time when it faces a sequence of damaging allegations regarding alleged therapy of contestants on Strictly Come Dancing.
At a press convention on Tuesday, BBC Director Normal Tim Davie stated he was ‘sorry’ that some stars didn’t have a optimistic expertise on the present.
‘I feel that’s one thing we do replicate on – I am sorry about that,’ he added.
Mr Davie noticed his pay stay the identical at as much as £529,999 as the highest paid BBC govt.
He informed journalists there’ll inevitably be ‘competitiveness, laborious work and the desire to do effectively’ on Strictly Come Dancing, including: ‘However there are limits and the road ought to by no means be crossed. We are going to by no means tolerate unacceptable behaviour of any sort.’
Requested if he’s assured the present will go forward this sequence, he stated: ‘I must be assured now we have the appropriate safeguarding and responsibility of care in place, and that’s the first query I ask.
‘I’m assured by the sturdy actions now we have taken when it comes to the modifications now we have made … that we’re ready to ship an excellent season this 12 months and that has been my focus.’
He continued: ‘With that assurance, I am trying ahead to the following season.’
Addressing how he felt when the allegations first emerged concerning the present, he stated he was ‘disillusioned’.
Skilled Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the present final week following claims he allegedly hit and spat at his dancing associate Zara McDermott, 27, throughout rehearsals.
Graziano has apologised for kicking his former associate and added different allegations don’t align with ‘how he remembers it.’
Weeks earlier than, Giovanni Pernice, 33, was suspended whereas a BBC probe is performed over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbingto, 50, and two different former celeb companions. He denies the claims.
Former contestant Will Bayley this week revealed he nonetheless suffers as a consequence of accidents he sustained throughout the present.
Skilled Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed from the present final week following claims he allegedly hit and spat at his dancing associate Zara McDermott, 27, throughout rehearsals
Weeks earlier than, Giovanni Pernice was suspended whereas a BBC probe is performed over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington
Steve Backshall complained to the BBC about his skilled associate on Strictly Come Dancing Ola Jordan again in 2014 claiming she ‘bullied’ him
Strictly professional Janette Manrara broke her silence on Monday after Paralympian Will Bayley claimed she made him redo a soar that induced a lifelong harm – amid the newest drama for ‘fatally tarnished’ present (inventory picture)
A resurfaced clip aired throughout that 12 months’s stay exhibits has proven the devastating second Will was curled up on the ground in ache after the soar
The Paralympic desk tennis participant stated he suffered a severe harm whereas performing a soar in rehearsals for the programme in 2019, and claimed there was ‘no responsibility of care’.
He claimed producers had been informed the soar from a desk throughout a routine was too harmful, however he was inspired to do it anyway, and after he was injured present bosses made him really feel as if it was his fault.
Bayley has arthrogryposis, a situation which impacts all of his limbs, and was additionally identified with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma throughout childhood.
He underwent reconstructive knee surgical procedure in January final 12 months after he was compelled to withdraw from sequence 17 of the favored programme in week seven after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament.
Bayley stated he had a optimistic expertise together with his skilled dance associate, Janette Manrara, however added that professionals might do with extra assist when coaching contestants with disabilities.
He stated: ‘There are issues that would have gone gone higher. My fall, my harm might have been prevented, simply because I feel that possibly skilled dancers want further assist within the coaching corridor when you’re working with somebody with a extreme incapacity.’
Bayley stated he outlined what might be improved in letter to the BBC however was disheartened by the response he acquired.
Steve Backshall additionally complained that Ola Jordan ‘bullied’ him whereas on the programme in 2014.
In the meantime high earner Lineker has additionally seen his share of controversy over the previous couple of months as a consequence of his statements on social media.
A fierce row erupted final 12 months over whether or not the soccer pundit ought to be sure by the BBC’s strict impartiality code.
It adopted a tweet by which Lineker in contrast the federal government’s anti-migrant rhetoric as much like that seen in Nazi Germany.
However the company sought to take care of its place because the UK’s ‘go to’ leisure model in its report on Tuesday.
Lauren Laverne was considered one of 4 girls within the high ten in figures launched at this time
Stephen Nolan was in joint fifth place incomes as much as £409,999 – a £5,000 enhance
Two soccer pundits made it into the highest ten: Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer (pictured above)
Samir Shah, BBC Chair, stated: ‘The BBC issues deeply to the UK, and continues to play an essential function on the worldwide stage.
‘With the Board, I stay up for overseeing progress with the stable plans in place to protect the advantages of public service broadcasting for all, and to make sure the BBC can ship for audiences effectively into the longer term.’
Tim Davie, BBC Director-Normal, stated: ‘This 12 months’s Annual Report exhibits how we’re remodeling at tempo to ship for all audiences within the digital age.
‘We stay firmly focussed on prioritising our assets into constructing a BBC for the longer term that may ship essential advantages for the UK at a important time – and assist assist a wholesome democracy, a thriving artistic economic system, and a powerful society.’
