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| Chris Evans and Gary Lineker are BBC’s top earners as gender pay gap exposed | Chris Evans and Gary Lineker are BBC’s top earners as gender pay gap exposed |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Chris Evans was paid at least £2.2m by the BBC last year while Gary Lineker collected more than £1.75m and Graham Norton more than £850,000, according to figures published by the corporation that highlight significant gender imbalances in its top stars’ salaries. | Chris Evans was paid at least £2.2m by the BBC last year while Gary Lineker collected more than £1.75m and Graham Norton more than £850,000, according to figures published by the corporation that highlight significant gender imbalances in its top stars’ salaries. |
| The three male presenters are the top earners on an unprecedented list of the BBC’s highest-paid stars that the corporation published on Wednesday as part of its annual report. Only a third of the 96 top earners are female and the top seven are all male. | The three male presenters are the top earners on an unprecedented list of the BBC’s highest-paid stars that the corporation published on Wednesday as part of its annual report. Only a third of the 96 top earners are female and the top seven are all male. |
| 1. Chris Evans £2.2m - £2.25m | 1. Chris Evans £2.2m - £2.25m |
| 2. Gary Lineker £1.75m - £1.8m | 2. Gary Lineker £1.75m - £1.8m |
| 3. Graham Norton £850,0000 - £899,999 | 3. Graham Norton £850,0000 - £899,999 |
| 4. Jeremy Vine £700,000 - £749,999 | 4. Jeremy Vine £700,000 - £749,999 |
| 5. John Humphrys £600,000 - £649,999 | 5. John Humphrys £600,000 - £649,999 |
| 6. Huw Edwards £550,000 - £599,999 | 6. Huw Edwards £550,000 - £599,999 |
| 7. Steve Wright £500,000 - £549,999 | 7. Steve Wright £500,000 - £549,999 |
| = 8. Claudia Winkleman £450,000 - £499,999 | = 8. Claudia Winkleman £450,000 - £499,999 |
| = 8. Matt Baker £450,000 - £499,999 | = 8. Matt Baker £450,000 - £499,999 |
| = 9. Nicky Campbell £400,000 - £449,999 | = 9. Nicky Campbell £400,000 - £449,999 |
| = 9. Andrew Marr £400,000 - £449,999 | = 9. Andrew Marr £400,000 - £449,999 |
| = 9. Stephen Nolan £400,000 - £449,999 | = 9. Stephen Nolan £400,000 - £449,999 |
| = 9. Alan Shearer £400,000 - £449,999 | = 9. Alan Shearer £400,000 - £449,999 |
| =9. Alex Jones £400,000 - £449,000 | =9. Alex Jones £400,000 - £449,000 |
| 10. Fiona Bruce £350,000 - £399,999 | 10. Fiona Bruce £350,000 - £399,999 |
| The list includes 96 actors, presenters, journalists and panellists who were paid more than £150,000 in the last financial year. The BBC fought against the list being published – claiming it would create a “poacher’s charter” and drive up salaries in the media industry – but it was forced to by the government as part of its new 11-year royal charter. | |
| The list reveals a huge gender imbalance among the BBC’s top earners. Only two women – Claudia Winkleman, who presents Strictly Come Dancing, and Alex Jones, presenter of the One Show – are listed as earning more than £400,000 compared with 12 men. Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC’s political editor, earns between £200,000 and £249,999 – less than PM host Eddie Mair, who earns between £300,000 and £349,999. Clare Balding, the sports presenter, received £150,999 to £199,999, about a tenth of Lineker’s pay and less than fellow presenters John Inverdale and Jason Mohammad, who earn more than £200,000 and £250,000 respectively. | |
| There are also some high-profile female absentees from the list. Emily Maitlis, the newsreader, Sarah Montague, the presenter of the Today programme on Radio 4, and Louise Minchin, who presents BBC Breakfast, do not earn more than £150,000 a year according to the disclosure. | There are also some high-profile female absentees from the list. Emily Maitlis, the newsreader, Sarah Montague, the presenter of the Today programme on Radio 4, and Louise Minchin, who presents BBC Breakfast, do not earn more than £150,000 a year according to the disclosure. |
| In contrast, Huw Edwards, who presents the news as well as major events and documentaries, earned between £550,000 and £599,999; John Humphrys, who presents Today and Mastermind, collected £600,000 to £649,999; and Dan Walker, who presented Breakfast, Football Focus and Olympic coverage in 2016, was paid £200,000 to £249,999. | In contrast, Huw Edwards, who presents the news as well as major events and documentaries, earned between £550,000 and £599,999; John Humphrys, who presents Today and Mastermind, collected £600,000 to £649,999; and Dan Walker, who presented Breakfast, Football Focus and Olympic coverage in 2016, was paid £200,000 to £249,999. |
| Jane Garvey, the BBC radio presenter, who is also not on the list, tweeted: “I’m looking forward to presenting BBC Woman’s Hour today. We’ll be discussing #genderpaygap. As we’ve done since 1946. Going well, isn’t it?” Maitlis retweeted Garvey’s comment. | |
| The BBC has published the list of stars in £50,000 bands. It does not include payments to staff from production companies or BBC Worldwide, which generates commercial revenues. This means there are some high-profile BBC figures not included such as the stars of The Great British Bake Off, Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, and Sir David Attenborough. | |
| Norton’s earnings do not include The Graham Norton Show, meaning his actual pay in the last financial year was significantly higher than that listed. However, programmes produced by the BBC, including EastEnders, Casualty, and Strictly Come Dancing, are included. | Norton’s earnings do not include The Graham Norton Show, meaning his actual pay in the last financial year was significantly higher than that listed. However, programmes produced by the BBC, including EastEnders, Casualty, and Strictly Come Dancing, are included. |
| Evans’s work for the BBC in the past year included his Radio 2 breakfast show and Top Gear. He is understood to have received extra payments for presenting Top Gear from BBC Worldwide that are not included in this list. Evans said on Wednesday monring that it was “on balance right and proper” that the BBC made the disclosure. | |
| Lineker presents Match of the Day on Saturday night. In preparation for his pay being made public, Lineker tweeted: | Lineker presents Match of the Day on Saturday night. In preparation for his pay being made public, Lineker tweeted: |
| Tony Hall, the director general of the BBC, defended the pay levels and gender imbalance, but said the corporation needed to do more. | Tony Hall, the director general of the BBC, defended the pay levels and gender imbalance, but said the corporation needed to do more. |
| On Evans’s pay, he said: “Chris Evans is presenting the most popular show on the most popular network in Europe. Chris Evans would have a choice [of jobs], it might not be commercial radio but we do know that a number of presenters have been made offers by commercial radio. We also know we have lost people, not Chris, to Amazon and other big players. That is the market we are dealing with.” | |
| Hall insisted the BBC was “more diverse than the broadcasting industry and the civil service” but admitted there was more to do following the pay disclosure. | |
| “I feel reinvigorated in one of the things I really believe, which is getting by 2020 equality on the air between men and women and in pay as well,” he said. | |
| Asked whether the BBC was expecting legal action over the gender pay gap, Hall added: “We will be working carefully and managing our relationship with the talent on which we depend. That’s a job we have got to do. I want to get the very best talent working for the BBC and the best relationships with them.” | |
| Other top male earners include Jeremy Vine on at least £700,000; Steve Wright, the radio presenter, on £500,000 to £549,999; and Matt Baker, the presenter and commentator, who was paid at least £450,000. Alan Shearer, the football pundit, Andrew Marr, the politics presenter, and Stephen Nolan, the Northern Irish radio host, were paid between £400,000 and £449,999. Winkleman, who also presents a Radio 2 show, was the best-paid woman, collecting between £450,000 and £499,999, while Jones was paid at least £400,000. | Other top male earners include Jeremy Vine on at least £700,000; Steve Wright, the radio presenter, on £500,000 to £549,999; and Matt Baker, the presenter and commentator, who was paid at least £450,000. Alan Shearer, the football pundit, Andrew Marr, the politics presenter, and Stephen Nolan, the Northern Irish radio host, were paid between £400,000 and £449,999. Winkleman, who also presents a Radio 2 show, was the best-paid woman, collecting between £450,000 and £499,999, while Jones was paid at least £400,000. |
| The reason the BBC was told to publish the list of top earners was to demonstrate whether it is delivering value for money - in other words, whether it pays in line with the market. Given that no other broadcaster publishes the pay of its stars this is difficult to prove, but Tony Hall, the director general, insists the BBC aims to pay people at a discount to the market while Gary Lineker, one of the top earners, insists he has been offered more lucrative deals to leave. One publicly available pay deal is for Paul Dacre, the editor of the Daily Mail, who gets £1.5m a year - which would put him second on the BBC’s list behind Chris Evans. | |
| Among the actors on the list, Derek Thompson, who plays Charlie Fairhead in Casualty, was the best paid. He received £350,000 to £399,999 in the last year. Second on the list is Amanda Mealing, the Holby City star, who was paid £250,000 to £299,999. | |
| Actors earning between £200,000 and £249,999 include Doctor Who’s Peter Capaldi, the EastEnders stars Danny Dyer and Adam Woodyatt, Sir David Jason and Emilia Fox. However, Capaldi is understood to earn more than £250,000 as he receives extra payments for Doctor Who through BBC Worldwide, which were not included in the disclosure. | Actors earning between £200,000 and £249,999 include Doctor Who’s Peter Capaldi, the EastEnders stars Danny Dyer and Adam Woodyatt, Sir David Jason and Emilia Fox. However, Capaldi is understood to earn more than £250,000 as he receives extra payments for Doctor Who through BBC Worldwide, which were not included in the disclosure. |
| In entertainment, the judges of Strictly Come Dancing were all paid more than £150,000. Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli were paid £200,000 to £249,999 and Darcey Bussell and Craig Revel Horwood £150,000 to £199,999. | In entertainment, the judges of Strictly Come Dancing were all paid more than £150,000. Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli were paid £200,000 to £249,999 and Darcey Bussell and Craig Revel Horwood £150,000 to £199,999. |
| Other stars on the list include radio hosts Nick Grimshaw, Vanessa Feltz and Simon Mayo on £350,000 to £399,999, and Sue Barker, the sports host, and Nick Knowles, the presenter, on £300,000 to £349,999. | Other stars on the list include radio hosts Nick Grimshaw, Vanessa Feltz and Simon Mayo on £350,000 to £399,999, and Sue Barker, the sports host, and Nick Knowles, the presenter, on £300,000 to £349,999. |
| John McEnroe was paid more than £150,000 for his work on Wimbledon last year while Gary Barlow and Danni Minogue were paid £200,000 to £249,999 after working on talent show Let It Shine. | John McEnroe was paid more than £150,000 for his work on Wimbledon last year while Gary Barlow and Danni Minogue were paid £200,000 to £249,999 after working on talent show Let It Shine. |
| The BBC has also disclosed 306 mangers earning more than £150,000 a year, a list it has published in the past. The corporation spends £42.2m on senior managers, compared with £78.5m in 2009. The best-paid executive in the last year was the directorgeneral, with Hall collecting more than £450,000. | |
| The bill for the 96 on-air stars was £28.7m, down from more than £31m last year according to Hall. The BBC said that the top-earners on its list represented less than 0.25% of the 43,000 talent contracts the corporation handled last year. | |
| Tom Watson, the deputy Labour leader, said of the figures: “The BBC is one of the world’s greatest broadcasters and we shouldn’t be surprised that its top stars – who millions of people tune in to watch and listen to every week – are well paid. | |
| “It’s wrong that only a third of the BBC’s highest paid stars are women, and we welcome Lord Hall’s commitment to close the gender pay gap by 2020. It would be good to see a similar commitment, and similar levels of transparency, from other media organisations – especially those who are criticising the BBC today.” |