Gary Lineker Tops BBC Earners List

Gary Lineker has been named the BBC's best-paid presenter once again, earning up to £1.34 million in 2020-2021. This is despite the fact the Match of the Day presenter took a £400,000 pay cut (23 percent) when signing on for a new five-year contract with the broadcaster this year. 

Radio 2’s presenter Zoe Ball came in second place on the BBC earners list, and has also taken a pay cut from the year before, with her figures dipping below £1 million for the first time since she took over the Breakfast Show in 2019. Match of the Day host Alan Shearer moved up to third place this year, pocketing as much as £454,999.

According to the BBC, this year’s list comes with the caveat that stars that made money on the commercial arm of BBC studios have not been included. For instance, Graham Norton’s earnings for his BBC One chat show has been omitted due to being produced by a commercial company.