BBC salary list in full - with huge pay rises and unlikely name sat near top

Daily Mirror

15-07-2025

The BBC has published the salaries of its highest-paid stars as part of its annual report - with some big changes amongst the top earners.
Former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who recently left the corporation was once again the top earner with a take home salary of £1.35million, followed by former Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball with £515,000 despite being replaced on the Breakfast Show by Scott Mills.
Match of the Day Host Alan Shearer was the third highest paid BBC star of the year, increasing his salary from the year before after covering the Euros last year. The former Newcastle star boosted his salary to almost half a million pounds with his punditry at the tournament.
Radio host and political expert Nick Robinson also had a pay rise last year and Radio 2 host Vernon Kay joined the top 10 for the first time. Perhaps surprisingly BBC North America Editor Justin Webb also makes the top 10 with a salary of £365,000.
The BBC's top earners:
Gary Lineker £1,350,000-£1,354,999 (no change)
Zoe Ball £515,000-£519,999 (down from £950,000-£954,999)
Alan Shearer £440,000-445,000 (up from £380,000-£384,999)
Greg James £425,000-£429,999 (up from £415,000-£419,999)
Fiona Bruce £410,000-£414,999 (up from £405,000-£409,999) and Nick Robinson £410,000-£414,999 (Up from £345,000 and £349,000)
Stephen Nolan £405,000-£409,999 (up from £400,000-£404,999)
Laura Kuenssberg £395,000-£399,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)
Vernon Kay £390,000 - £394,999 (joined Radio 2 in May 2023)
Justin Webb £365,000-£369,999 (up from £320,000-£324,999)
Naga Munchetty £355,000-£359,999 (up from £345,000-£349,999)
Scott Mills £355,000-£359,999 (up from £315,000 - £319,999)
Last year, Vernon Kay made the list for the first time after joining BBC Radio 2. He replaced Ken Bruce and took home a whopping £320,000 from the corporation in his first year.
Despite the impressive sum, his take-home pay was almost 20% less than what Ken earned in the previous year in the slot.
Disgraced BBC News host Huw Edwards also remained on the list last year, as he came in third place with a wage of £475,000-£479,999 (up from £435,000-£439,999). He left the BBC after being named as the presenter at the centre of days of allegations and speculation regarding his private life.
Edwards had been off-air since July 2023. BBC director general Tim Davie had to explain why he was still paid by the corporation. At the time, he said: "There was no settlement payment [for Huw], we have said that before.
"Look, we're 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 tried to act proportionately, fairly, and navigate this appropriately.
"I think that's what we did. And it ended up in the conclusion we will know, but I think we wouldn't have wasted money if we weren't doing the right thing."
Some stars are not included in the list, like Michael McIntyre and Claudia Winkleman last year, as the salaries of talent paid via production companies are not published, including those who receive payments through BBC Studios.