The stars you WON’T see on BBC earnings checklist

Claudia Winkleman, Michael McIntyre, Graham Norton and Alex Jones are among the BBC stars who do not appear on the corporation’s annual pay list thanks to a loophole. 

Gary Lineker was today named the BBC’s highest paid star for the seventh year in a row, with the Match of the Day host earning £1.35million, followed by Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball on just shy of a million. 

However, the salaries of many of the BBC‘s most famous faces are not disclosed on the list because the corporation does not have to reveal the salaries of people who are paid through production companies, including the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Studios.

This means ubiquitous presenters and personalities such as Lord Sugar, Bradley Walsh and Tess Daly do not feature. 

The BBC’s annual report revealed Huw Edwards was paid more than £475,000 by the corporation last year before he resigned and left the corporation following the explicit photos furore.

Michael McIntyre is among the BBC stars who do not appear on the corporation’s annual pay list thanks to a loophole

Claudia Winkleman is among the BBC stars who are paid through production companies, including the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Studios

His resignation in April followed allegations that he paid a young person for sexually explicit pictures.

The veteran newsreader was paid between £475,000 and £479,999 for the year 2023/24 for 160 presenting days, BBC One news specials, election specials and other television programming, according to the BBC’s annual report.

This marked an increase from 2022/23, when he was paid between £435,000 and 439,999 for 180 days presenting on BBC One, as well as news specials.

Edwards was absent from screens from when the story first broke in July 2023 until his exit in April 2024.

He remained on the payroll while suspended, which is normal BBC policy, and was suffering from serious mental health issues and received in-patient hospital care.

The BBC confirmed at the time of his departure that he had not received a pay-off and was leaving ‘on the basis of medical advice from his doctors’.

He had long been a fixture in the coverage of major political and royal events, announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s death on the BBC and presenting coverage of her funeral.

He also anchored the BBC’s broadcast of the King’s coronation last year.

One Show host Alex Jones is also paid through a production company 

Bradley Walsh, the former footballer turned TV presenter, does not appear on the rich list 

Gary Lineker was today named the BBC’s highest paid star for the seventh year in a row

BBC director-general Tim Davie defended Edwards’ £40,000 pay rise, saying: ‘We are always trying to be very judicious with the spending of public money and no-one wants to waste a pound.

‘But what you’re trying to do, and from the onset of that affair, was trying to act proportionally, fairly and navigate this appropriately.

‘I think that’s what we did… but I think we wouldn’t have wasted money if we weren’t doing the right thing.’

He added: ‘People on the list would be getting pay rises for extended responsibility, and actually, if they’re doing more… that is fairly normal business, and that’s what would result in the change.’

Edwards was the third highest-paid employee on the 2023/24 list, up from fourth last year, which was once again topped by Match Of The Day anchor Gary Lineker, whose salary remained unchanged at between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999.

This is the seventh consecutive year Lineker has topped the list and he continues to be the only star paid more than £1 million.

Graham Norton is one of the BBC’s best known stars, but his salary is not disclosed 

Paddy McGuinness, who hosts a show on BBC Radio 2, is also paid through a production company 

The BBC has published its annual report amid increased scrutiny of its flagship show Strictly Come Dancing over its culture and treatment of contestants.

There are few mentions of Strictly in the lengthy document but photos from the show are peppered throughout.

There are two new entries on this year’s list of the highest-paid on-air talent.

Naga Munchetty and Radio 4’s Nick Robinson enter the top 10, replacing Ken Bruce, who no longer works at the BBC, and Sophie Raworth, who moves further down.

There are four women in the top 10 – Zoe Ball, Fiona Bruce, Lauren Laverne and Munchetty.

Radio 1’s Greg James, Radio Ulster’s Stephen Nolan and Match Of The Day’s Alan Shearer also make the list.