The Welsh stars named on the BBC highest earners list

The BBC has published a list of the stars who were the top earners in the 2024-2025 financial year as part of the company’s annual report.

Gary Lineker, who resigned in May, topped the highest salary earners, while there were also three Welshmen on the list of nearly 70 stars earning more than £178,000.

Former Match Of The Day presenter Lineker, who left the BBC early at the end of the last Premier League season in May, was reported to have earned between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999 in the corporation’s annual report, for his work on Match Of The Day and coverage of European football.

Radio presenter Zoe Ball was the second highest-paid, earning between £515,000 and £519,999, for her work on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, which she left on December 20 last year.

Ball has since returned to a new Saturday afternoon show on the station, which she began hosting in May 2025.

Match Of The Day pundit Alan Shearer was the third-highest earner with a salary of between £440,000 and £444,999.

The former Newcastle United striker will continue to analyse football on the BBC in the new season with Match Of The Day’s incoming presenters Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan.

His pay also covered work on the BBC’s coverage of European football competitions, such as the Uefa Champions League.

BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show presenter Greg James came fourth on the list, earning between £425,000 and £429,999, for work which also included his Radio 4 show Rewinder, while Fiona Bruce and Nick Robinson were the joint fifth-highest earners, with both earning between £410,000 and £414,999.

Bruce’s pay covered her work on Question Time and other presenting work on BBC One and coverage of the UK general election, while Robinson’s included his presenting work, Political Thinking and Today podcasts, and his work covering the UK general election.

The rest of the top 10 was made up of BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Stephen Nolan, who earned between £405,000 and £409,999, TV presenter Laura Kuenssberg, who earned between £395,000 and £399,999, BBC Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay, who earned between £390,000 and £394,999, and journalist Justin Webb, who earned between £365,000 and £369,999.

There were also three Welsh journalists/presenters named on the list:

Jeremy Bowen (£260,000 – £264,99)

The BBC’s International Editor and renowned Middle East commentator is the highest-earning Welshman on the BBC list.

Jason Mohammad (£230,000 – £234,999)

A regular on the list, the presenter’s salary covers his daily BBC Radio Wales programme, BBC Final Score, and Radio 2’s Good Morning Sunday show, which he co-presents with the Rev Kate Botley.

Owain Wyn Evans (£195,000 – £199,999)

A newcomer to the list the Welsh weatherman and presenter is paid handsomely for his Radio 2 early breakfast show.

The publication of salaries comes after highest BBC earner, Lineker, left his presenting role earlier than planned following a social media row after he shared a post about Zionism which featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult.

Lineker issued an unreserved apology for the incident, and will no longer front the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup next season.

The annual report and salary reveal comes as the BBC has made headlines over its coverage of the Glastonbury Festival, the Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary, and a report into Gregg Wallace’s behaviour on MasterChef.

On Monday, Wallace’s MasterChef co-host John Torode confirmed he had a standalone allegation of racist language upheld in the same report.

Here is a full list of BBC on-air pay above £178,000 for 2024/25, as published in the corporation’s annual report

The list is ranked by pay band, starting with the highest.

The equivalent pay band for 2023/24 is shown in brackets, with a description of the year-on-year change.

The list does not include people who are paid through independent production companies or the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Studios.

1. Gary Lineker £1,350,000-£1,354,999 (no change)

2. Zoe Ball £515,000-£519,999 (down from £950,000-£954,999)

3. Alan Shearer £440,000-£444,999 (up from £380,000-£384,999)

4. Greg James £425,000-£429,999 (up from £415,000-£419,999)

=5. Fiona Bruce £410,000-£414,999 up from £405,000-£409,999)

=5. Nick Robinson £410,000-£414,999 (up from £345,000-£349,999)

7. Stephen Nolan £405,000-£409,999 (no change)

8. Laura Kuenssberg £395,000-£399,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)

9. Vernon Kay £390,000-£394,999 (up from £320,000-£324,999)

10. Justin Webb £365,000-£369,999 (up from £320,000-£324,999)

=11. Scott Mills £355,000-£359,999 (up from £315,000-£319,999)

=11. Naga Munchetty £355,000-£359,999 (up from £345,000-£349,999)

13. Sophie Raworth £350,000-£354,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)

14. Clive Myrie £335,000-£339,999 (up from £310,000-£314,999)

=15. Mark Chapman £325,000-£329,999 (up from £260,000-£264,999)

=15. Mishal Husain £325,000-£329,999 (down from £340,000-£344,999)

17. Amol Rajan £315,000-£319,999 (up from £310,000-£314,999)

=18. Sara Cox £310,000-£314,999 (down from £315,000-£319,999)

=18. Jeremy Vine £310,000-£314,999 (up from £285,000-£289,999)

=20. Nicky Campbell £300,000-£304,999 (up from £295,000-£299,999)

=20. Reeta Chakrabarti £300,000-£304,999 (up from £270,000-£274,999)

=20. Evan Davis £300,000-£304,999 (up from £290,000-£294,999)

=23. Ros Atkins £295,000-£299,999 (up from £290,000-£294,999)

=23. Tina Daheley £295,000-£299,999 (up from £270,000-£274,999)

25. Emma Barnett £285,000-£289,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

26. Victoria Derbyshire £275,000-£279,999 (down from £295,000-£299,999)

27. Chris Mason £270,000-£274,999 (up from £260,000-£264,999)

28. Jeremy Bowen £260,000-£264,999 (up from £240,000-£244,999)

29. Sarah Montague £250,000-£254,999 (up from £245,000-£249,999)

30. Trevor Nelson £245,000-£249,999 (up from £235,000-£239,999)

=31. Katya Adler £240,000-£244,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999)

=31. Jon Kay £240,000-£244,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)

=33. Rick Edwards £235,000-£239,999 (up from £215,000-£219,999)

=33. Faisal Islam £235,000-£239,999 (down from £260,000-£264,999)

=33. Fergal Keane £235,000-£239,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)

=36. Jason Mohammad £230,000-£234,999 (down from £245,000-£249,999)

=36. Sarah Smith £230,000-£234,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)

=36. Jo Whiley £230,000-£234,999 (down from £245,000-£249,999)

39. Simon Jack £225,000-£229,999 (down from £240,000-£244,999)

=40. Rachel Burden £220,000-£224,999 (no change)

=40. Katie Razzall £220,000-£224,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=42. Mark Easton £210,000-£214,999 (up from £205,000-£209,999)

=42. Orla Guerin £210,000-£214,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

=42. Stephen Sackur £210,000-£214,999 (up from £200,000-£204,999)

=45. Lyse Doucet £205,000-£209,999 (no change)

=45. Jonny Dymond £205,000-£209,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

=45. Christian Fraser £205,000-£209,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

=45. Alex Scott £205,000-£209,999 (down from £220,000-£224,999)

=45. Ben Thompson £205,000-£209,999 (down from £225,000-£229,999)

=50. Matthew Amroliwala £200,000-£204,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

=50. Ben Brown £200,000-£204,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)

=50. Jane Hill £200,000-£204,999 (up from £178,000-£184,999)

=50. Lucy Hockings £200,000-£204,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)

=50. Sally Nugent £200,000-£204,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

=50. Chris Sutton £200,000-£204,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)

=56. Owain Wyn Evans £195,000-£199,999 (down from £200,000-£204,999)

=56. Maryam Moshiri £195,000-£199,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)

=58. Sally Bundock £190,000-£194,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=58. Craig Charles £190,000-£194,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)

=58. Annita McVeigh £190,000-£194,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=58. John Simpson £190,000-£194,999 (no change)

=58. Charlie Stayt £190,000-£194,999 (no change)

=63. Caitriona Perry £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=63. Sumi Somaskanda £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=65. Gary Davies £178,000-£184,999 (down from £200,000-£204,999)

=65. Charlie Hedges £178,000-£184,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=65. Steven Lai £178,888-£184,999 (not listed in 2023/24)