BBC reveals top star salaries and the list is dominated by men

The BBC has revealed its top stars’ salaries and the list is dominated by men.

In the wake of recent and more forthcoming talk about the gender pay gap that has existed for decades, it promoted debate within companies like the BBC when it came to seeing how much less their women staff were being paid in comparison to male counterparts.

The top 12 earners were revealed and, surprise, surprise, the list was all men.

In truth, there were few shock entries in there, with BBC Sport favourite Gary Lineker overtaking DJ Chris Evans as the company’s highest paid person, taking home almost £2 million a year.

Other high-earning names included host Graham Norton in third spot, who earns significantly lower than both Lineker and Evans – over £1 million less, in fact.

News presenter Huw Edwards is at number five, with just over half-a-million pounds.

Jeremy Vine, Alan Shearer, and Radio 1 host Nick Grimshaw also made the all-male list.

Lord Tony Hall, the Director-General of the BBC said that the gender pay gap was unacceptable and needed to be addressed: ‘I’ve made it absolutely clear that’s not good enough and I want to get to 50/50, and that will mean changes in the range of what people are paid right across [the organisation].’

He continued: ‘We are making progress and you must understand that. We’re trying to get a balanced range of men and women and their pay right across the organisation.

‘I am concentrating on what is a huge change, which is going from 25% of women to 40% of women being in the top, over £150,000 pay… These things take time.’

The full list of the 12 male earners as as follows:

1. Gary Lineker – £1,750,000-£1,759,999

2. Chris Evans – £1,660,000-£1,669,999

3. Graham Norton – £600,000-£609,999

4. Steve Wright – £550,000-£559,999

5. Huw Edwards – £520,000-£529,999

6. Jeremy Vine – £440,000-£449,999

=7. Nicky Campbell – £410,000-£419,999

=7. Alan Shearer – £410,000-£419,999

=9. John Humphrys – £400,000-£409,999

=9. Nick Grimshaw – £400,000-£409,999

=9. Stephen Nolan – £400,000-£409,999

=9. Andrew Marr – £400,000-£409,999

(REX)

However, some names have been taken off the list because content made by BBC Studios isn’t included. BBC Studios produce some of the corporation’s biggest, most popular programmes but is a subsidiary that is classed as a commercial entity and has been since early 2017.

Excluding BBC Studios has given the BBC more promising stats when it comes to gender pay equality. The 2018-19 figures are more favourable, with a 59% gender gap as opposed to 76% two years ago.

Since the 2016-17 stats, there has admittedly been several new entries, including women, into the high-earners bracket, and are as follows:

Emily Maitlis – £220,000-£229,999

Amol Rajan – £200,000-£209,999

Mary Berry – £190,000-£199,999

Katya Adler – £170,000-£179,999

Ian Wright – £170,000-£179,999

Sarah Montague – £160,000-£169,999

Rachel Burden – £150,000-£159,999

Tina Daheley – £150,000-£159,999

Jane Garvey – £150,000-£159,999

Simon Jack – £150,000-£159,999

Feargal Keane – £150,000-£159,999

Sarah Smith – £150,000-£159,999

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