The BBC has announced the salaries of its highest-paid stars from 2024/25, with Gary Lineker topping the list two months after leaving the corporation.
Radio 2 DJ Zoe Ball was the second highest-paid employee on the corporation’s annual report, having earned £515k-£519k, which is a £435k drop from last year’s salary after her departure from the station’s breakfast show.
Football pundit Alan Shearer has had a £700k increase to sit in third place, with £440k-£444k, while Radio 1 DJ Greg James is close behind with £420k-£429k.
Broadcasters Nick Robinson and Fiona Bruce are on the same salary (£410k – £414k), in fifth place.
This is the eighth consecutive year Lineker has topped the list and he is the only star paid more than £1m, with takings of £1.35m – £1.354m – no change from last year.
The salary report arrives shortly after Lineker quit the corporation, having worked there for 28 years – and criticised bosses for “bowing to pressure from the top” after failing to air the documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack.
Meanwhile, Ball stepped down from Radio 2’s Breakfast Show in December, but returned in May with a new Saturday afternoon programme.
Other stars to have seen drastic increases include Laura Kuenssberg, who presents her own Sunday morning politics show, and Radio 2 DJ Vernon Kay.
The salaries of many of the BBC’s most famous names are not disclosed on the list, as the corporation refrains from including those paid through independent production companies.
These include Strictly hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, as well as chat show presenter Graham Norton.
Huw Edwards, who was the third highest-paid employee on the 2023/24 list, is absent from this year’s list, having resigned from the BBC last year amid a scandal that saw the presenter admit to accessing indecent images of children as young as seven.
The veteran broadcaster, 63, was handed a six-month suspended sentence in September 2024.
Find the full list below:
1. Gary Lineker £1,350,000-£1,354,999 (no change)
2. Zoe Ball £515,000-£519,999 (down from £950,000-£954,999)
3. Alan Shearer £440,000-£444,999 (up from £380,000-£384,999)
4. Greg James £425,000-£429,999 (up from £415,000-£419,999)
=5. Fiona Bruce £410,000-£414,999 up from £405,000-£409,999)
=5. Nick Robinson £410,000-£414,999 (up from £345,000-£349,999)
7. Stephen Nolan £405,000-£409,999 (no change)
8. Laura Kuenssberg £395,000-£399,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)
9. Vernon Kay £390,000-£394,999 (up from £320,000-£324,999)
10. Justin Webb £365,000-£369,999 (up from £320,000-£324,999)
=11. Scott Mills £355,000-£359,999 (up from £315,000-£319,999)
=11. Naga Munchetty £355,000-£359,999 (up from £345,000-£349,999)
13. Sophie Raworth £350,000-£354,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)
14. Clive Myrie £335,000-£339,999 (up from £310,000-£314,999)
=15. Mark Chapman £325,000-£329,999 (up from £260,000-£264,999)
=15. Mishal Husain £325,000-£329,999 (down from £340,000-£344,999)
17. Amol Rajan £315,000-£319,999 (up from £310,000-£314,999)
=18. Sara Cox £310,000-£314,999 (down from £315,000-£319,999)
=18. Jeremy Vine £310,000-£314,999 (up from £285,000-£289,999)
=20. Nicky Campbell £300,000-£304,999 (up from £295,000-£299,999)
=20. Reeta Chakrabarti £300,000-£304,999 (up from £270,000-£274,999)
=20. Evan Davis £300,000-£304,999 (up from £290,000-£294,999)
=23. Ros Atkins £295,000-£299,999 (up from £290,000-£294,999)
=23. Tina Daheley £295,000-£299,999 (up from £270,000-£274,999)
25. Emma Barnett £285,000-£289,999 (not listed in 2023/24)
26. Victoria Derbyshire £275,000-£279,999 (down from £295,000-£299,999)
27. Chris Mason £270,000-£274,999 (up from £260,000-£264,999)
28. Jeremy Bowen £260,000-£264,999 (up from £240,000-£244,999)
29. Sarah Montague £250,000-£254,999 (up from £245,000-£249,999)
30. Trevor Nelson £245,000-£249,999 (up from £235,000-£239,999)
=31. Katya Adler £240,000-£244,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999)
=31. Jon Kay £240,000-£244,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)
=33. Rick Edwards £235,000-£239,999 (up from £215,000-£219,999)
=33. Faisal Islam £235,000-£239,999 (down from £260,000-£264,999)
=33. Fergal Keane £235,000-£239,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)
=36. Jason Mohammad £230,000-£234,999 (down from £245,000-£249,999)
=36. Sarah Smith £230,000-£234,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)
=36. Jo Whiley £230,000-£234,999 (down from £245,000-£249,999)
39. Simon Jack £225,000-£229,999 (down from £240,000-£244,999)
=40. Rachel Burden £220,000-£224,999 (no change)
=40. Katie Razzall £220,000-£224,999 (not listed in 2023/24)
=42. Mark Easton £210,000-£214,999 (up from £205,000-£209,999)
=42. Orla Guerin £210,000-£214,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)
=42. Stephen Sackur £210,000-£214,999 (up from £200,000-£204,999)
=45. Lyse Doucet £205,000-£209,999 (no change)
=45. Jonny Dymond £205,000-£209,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)
=45. Christian Fraser £205,000-£209,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)
=45. Alex Scott £205,000-£209,999 (down from £220,000-£224,999)
=45. Ben Thompson £205,000-£209,999 (down from £225,000-£229,999)
=50. Matthew Amroliwala £200,000-£204,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)
=50. Ben Brown £200,000-£204,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)
=50. Jane Hill £200,000-£204,999 (up from £178,000-£184,999)
=50. Lucy Hockings £200,000-£204,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)
=50. Sally Nugent £200,000-£204,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)
=50. Chris Sutton £200,000-£204,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)
=56. Owain Wyn Evans £195,000-£199,999 (down from £200,000-£204,999)
=56. Maryam Moshiri £195,000-£199,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)
=58. Sally Bundock £190,000-£194,999 (not listed in 2023/24)
=58. Craig Charles £190,000-£194,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)
=58. Annita McVeigh £190,000-£194,999 (not listed in 2023/24)
=58. John Simpson £190,000-£194,999 (no change)=58. Charlie Stayt £190,000-£194,999 (no change)
=63. Caitriona Perry £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2023/24)
=63. Sumi Somaskanda £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2023/24)
=65. Gary Davies £178,000-£184,999 (down from £200,000-£204,999)
=65. Charlie Hedges £178,000-£184,999 (not listed in 2023/24)
=65. Steven Lai £178,888-£184,999 (not listed in 2023/24)