Gary Lineker now the only on-air BBC talent paid more than £1million - as salary list revealed in full

Gary Lineker now the only on-air BBC talent paid more than £1million - as salary list revealed in full
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Aden-Jay Wood

By Aden-Jay Wood


Published: 12/07/2022

- 12:00

Updated: 10/10/2023

- 15:37

Lineker is the BBC’s top earning on-air talent for the fifth consecutive year and is now the only presenter to earn more than £1 million

Gary Lineker is the BBC’s top earning on-air talent for the fifth consecutive year and the only name to earn more than £1 million annually, new figures show.

The 61-year-old pundit and former footballer was paid between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999 in 2021/2022 – a reduction of £10,000 on the previous year.


Lineker first topped the list for 2017/18 with a pay bracket of £1,750,000 to £1,759,999, and in 2020 it was announced he had taken a voluntary pay cut.

Zoe Ball remains the broadcaster’s second highest paid talent, with a salary of £980,000 to £984,999, but figures show her salary falling for a second consecutive year.

Her salary has now slipped to below £1 million.

Former Leicester City player and BBC pundit Gary Lineker with the FA Cup Trophy before the Emirates FA Cup quarter final match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester. Picture date: Sunday March 21, 2021.
Gary Lineker
Ian Walton

Alan Shearer has seen a year-on-year increase of £60,000, bringing his salary to £450,000-£454,999, which puts him joint third with Steve Wright, whose salary this year reflects a £15,000 decrease.

The corporation’s annual report for 2021/22, which also marks its centenary, shows four out of the top 10 best paid names have seen their salaries fall.

The only new addition to the top 10 is Greg James, whose salary has increased by £80,000. The 36-year-old earns between £390,000 and £394,999.

This year’s top 10 features fewer women that last year, dropping from four to three.

Zoe Ball
Zoe Ball
Yui Mok

Lauren Laverne does not feature in this year’s top 10, with figures showing her salary has fallen by £15,000 to the bracket of £380,000-£384,999.

Other notable increases on the overall list of top earning on-air talent, as shown in the annual report, include Naga Munchetty with a £110,000 increase and Amol Rajan with an increase of £85,000.

Victoria Derbyshire, meanwhile, has seen a £70,000 increase.

Full list:

1 Gary Lineker £1,350,000-1,354,999 (down from £1,360,000-£1,364,999)

2 Zoe Ball £980,000-£984,999 (down from £1,130,000-£1,134,999)

3 Alan Shearer £450,000-£454,999 (up from £390,000-£394,999)

= Steve Wright £450,000-£454,999 (down from £465,000-£469,999)

5 Stephen Nolan £415,000-£419,999 (up from £405,000-£409,999)

6 Fiona Bruce £410,000-£414,999 (up from £405,000-£409,999)

= Huw Edwards £410,000-£414,999 (down from £425,000-£429,999)

8 Vanessa Feltz £400,000-£404,999 (up from £390,000-£394,999)

= Scott Mills £400,000-£404,999 (up from £375,000-£379,999)

10 Greg James £390,000-£394,999 (up from £310,000-£314,999)

11 Ken Bruce £385,000-£389,999 (up from £365,000-£369,999)

12 Lauren Laverne £380,000-£384,999 (down from £395,000-£399,999)

13 Naga Munchetty £365,000-£369,999 (up from £255,000-£259,999)

14 George Alagiah £325,000-£329,999 (no change)

= Emily Maitlis £325,000-£329,999 (no change)

= Amol Rajan £325,000-£329,999 (up from £240,000-£244,999)

17 Sophie Raworth £305,000-£309,999 (up from £280,000-£284,999)

18 Nicky Campbell £295,000-£299,999 (no change)

19 Jeremy Vine £290,000-£294,999 (down from £295,000-£299,999)

20 Jason Mohammad £285,000-£289,999 (up from £270,000-£274,999)

21 Sara Cox £275,000-£279,999 (up from £270,000-£274,999)

= Mishal Husain £275,000-£279,999 (no change)

23 Evan Davis £270,000-£274,999 (no change)

= Nick Robinson £270,000-£274,999 (no change)

25 Andrew Marr £265,000-£269,999 (down from £335,000-£339,999)

= Jo Whiley £265,000-£269,999 (down from £275,000-£279,999)

27 Laura Kuenssberg £260,000-£264,999 (no change)

28 Martha Kearney £255,000-£259,999 (up from £250,000-£254,999)

= Clive Myrie £255,000-£259,999 (up from £205,000-£209,999)

= Justin Webb £255,000-£259,999 (no change)

31 Mark Chapman £250,000-£254,999 (no change)

32 Sarah Montague £245,000-£249,999 (no change)

= Kirsty Wark £245,000-£249,999 (up from £210,000-£214,999)

34 Victoria Derbyshire £240,000-£244,999 (up from £170,000-£174,999)

= Faisal Islam £240,000-£244,999 (up from £205,000-£209,999)

36 Jeremy Bowen £230,000-£234,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

37 Jon Sopel £225,000-£229,999 (down from £230,000-£234,999)

= Michael Vaughan £225,000-£229,999 (up from £175,000-£179,999)

39 Jermaine Jenas £220,000-£224,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

= Dan Walker £220,000-£224,999 (down from £295,000-£299,999)

41 Katya Adler £215,000-£219,999 (down from £220,000-£224,999)

= Emma Barnett £215,000-£219,999 (down from £240,000-£244,999)

= Mary Berry £215,000-£219,999 (no change)

44 Fergal Keane £210,000-£214,999 (up from £205,000-£209,999)

= Trevor Nelson £210,000-£214,999 (down from £230,000-£234,999)

46 Clare Balding £205,000-£209,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

= Simon Jack £205,000-£209,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)

48 Reeta Chakrabarti £200,000-£204,999 (up from £175,000-£179,999)

= Gabby Logan £200,000-£204,999 (up from £165,000-£169,999)

= Micah Richards £200,000-£204,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

= Louis Theroux £200,000-£204,999 (no change)

52 Alex Scott £195,000-£199,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

53 Mark Easton £190,000-£194,999 (no change)

= Sarah Smith £190,000-£194,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)

= Charlie Stayt £190,000-£194,999 (no change)

56 Sue Barker £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

57 Rachel Burden £180,000-£184,999 (down from £205,000-£209,999)

= John McEnroe £180,000-£184,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

59 Jonathan Agnew £175,000-£179,999 (no change)

= Stephen Sackur £175,000-£179,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

61 Ben Brown £170,000-£174,999 (no change)

62 Harpreet Bhullar £160,000-£164,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

= Orla Guerin £160,000-£164,999 (no change)

= Colin Murray £160,000-£164,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

65 Clara Amfo £155,000-£159,999 (down from £165,000-£169,999)

= Joanna Gosling £155,000-£159,999 (no change)

= Isa Guha £155,000-£159,999 (up from £150,000-£154,999)

= Chris Sutton £155,000-£159,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

= Claudia Winkleman £155,000-£159,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

70 Nihal Arthanayake £150,000-£154,999 (no change)

= Lyse Doucet £150,000-£154,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

= Steve Lamacq £150,000-£154,999 (down from £155,000-£159,999)

= Tony Livesey £150,000-£154,999 (not listed in 2020/21)

= Carolyn Quinn £150,000-£154,999 (no change)

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