Jason Mohammad and Owain Wyn Evans among BBC’s highest earners

Casey Cooper-Fiske, Press Association Senior Entertainment Reporter and Ian Jones, Press Association

Jason Mohammad and Owain Wyn Evans have been named among the BBC’s highest earners, in an England-heavy rundown of the corporation’s best paid presenters.

Former BBC Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills was the corporation’s highest earner until his sacking in March, figures reveal.

The 53-year-old earned between £745,000 and £749,999 for the year ending in March 2026, according to the BBC’s Annual Report, for work on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, which he took over from Zoe Ball in January 2025; Pop: Top 10 shows and various other engagements across public service.

Mills was sacked by the BBC shortly before it emerged that the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into him in 2016 over allegations of serious sexual offences involving a boy aged under 16 between 1997 and 2000.

The Southampton-born presenter earned between £355,000 and £359,999 in last year’s report, when he was the joint 11th highest earner alongside Naga Munchetty.

Former England footballer Gary Lineker, once the BBC’s highest-paid star, earned between £325,000 and £329,999 for the year to March 2026, placing him 15th in the most recent list, having left the BBC in May last year.

He had a salary of between £1,350,0000 and £1,354,999 in the last annual report.

Lineker’s 2025/2026 earnings came from his work on Premier League highlights show Match Of The Day, and other football coverage.

Lineker was not the only high earner to depart the BBC, as Ball no longer features on the list.

Ball was second on last year’s highest-paid list, and will now present an afternoon show on Greatest Hits Radio from September.

BBC Match Of The Day football pundit and former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer saw his pay decrease from between £440,000 and £444,999 last year, to between £390,000 and £394,999, making him sixth on the list.

BBC political journalist Laura Kuenssberg was the highest-paid female staff member with a salary of between £405,000 and £409,999 in the latest report.

The second-highest-paid staff member was BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James, who earned between £440,000 and £444,999, and the third-highest paid was Northern Irish radio presenter Stephen Nolan, with a salary of between £425,000 and £429,999.

Kuenssberg was fourth on the list, joint with Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay.

Seventh on the list was journalist Justin Webb with a salary between £375,000 and £379,999, and eighth was Munchetty with a salary of between £360,000 and £364,999.

The top 10 was rounded off with Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce, with a salary ranging between £345,000 and £349,999, placing her ninth; and journalist Sophie Raworth in 10th with a salary of between £340,000 and £344,999.

Four women featured in this year’s top 10, up from three last year.

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

The BBC is required to declare a list of salaries paid to people both on air and off air who receive more than £178,000 from licence fee revenue in the year.

Full list

Here is a full list of BBC on-air pay above £178,000 for 2025/26, as published in the corporation’s annual report.

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

The equivalent pay band for 2024/25 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 Scott Mills £745,000-£749,999 (up from £355,000-£359,999)

2 Greg James £440,000-£444,999 (up from £425,000-£429,999)

3 Stephen Nolan £425,000-£429,999 (up from £405,000-£409,999)

4= Vernon Kay £405,000-£409,999 (up from £390,000-£394,999)

4= Laura Kuenssberg £405,000-£409,999 (up from £395,000-£399,999)

6 Alan Shearer £390,000-£394,999 (down from £440,000-£444,999)

7 Justin Webb £375,000-£379,999 (up from £365,000-£369,999)

8 Naga Munchetty £360,000-£364,999 (up from £355,000-£359,999)

9 Fiona Bruce £345,000-£349,999 (down from £410,000-£414,999)

10 Sophie Raworth £340,000-£344,999 (down from £350,000-£354,999)

11= Mark Chapman £335,000-£339,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)

11= Nick Grimshaw £335,000-£339,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

13= Trevor Nelson £330,000-£334,999 (up from £245,000-£249,999)

13= Nick Robinson £330,000-£334,999 (down from £410,000-£414,999)

15= Reeta Chakrabarti £325,000-£329,999 (up from £300,000-£304,999)

15= Gary Lineker £325,000-£329,999 (down from £1,350,000-£1,354,999)

17= Sara Cox £320,000-£324,999 (up from £310,000-£314,999)

17= Clive Myrie £320,000-£324,999 (down from £335,000-£339,999)

17= Amol Rajan £320,000-£324,999 (up from £315,000-£319,999)

20 Anna Foster £315,000-£319,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

21= Emma Barnett £305,000-£309,999 (up from £285,000-£289,999)

21= Evan Davis £305,000-£309,999 (up from £300,000-£304,999)

23= Ros Atkins £300,000-£304,999 (up from £295,000-£299,999)

23= Tina Daheley £300,000-£304,999 (up from £295,000-£299,999)

25 Nicky Campbell £295,000-£299,999 (down from £300,000-£304,999)

26= Gabby Logan £290,000-£294,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

26= Jason Mohammad £290,000-£294,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999)

28 Chris Mason £275,000-£279,999 (up from £270,000-£274,999)

29= Victoria Derbyshire £270,000-£274,999 (down from £275,000-£279,999)

29= Jeremy Bowen £270,000-£274,999 (up from £260,000-£264,999)

29= Simon Jack £270,000-£274,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)

32 Jeremy Vine £265,000-£269,999 (down from £310,000-£314,999)

33 Sarah Montague £255,000-£259,999 (up from £250,000-£254,999)

34 Jo Whiley £250,000-£254,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999)

35= Katya Adler £245,000-£249,999 (up from £240,000 -£244,999)

35= Sarah Smith £245,000-£249,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999)

37 Fergal Keane £240,000-£244,999 (up from £235,000-£239,999)

38= Faisal Islam £235,000-£239,999 (no change)

38= Lauren Laverne £235,000-£239,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

40= Matt Chorley £230,000-£234,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

40= Lyse Doucet £230,000-£234,999 (up from £205,000-£209,999)

40= Rick Edwards £230,000-£234,999 (down from £235,000-£239,999)

43= Jon Kay £225,000-£229,999 (down from £240,000-£244,999)

43= Johnathan Joseph £225,000-£229,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

45 Orla Guerin £220,000-£224,999 (up from £210,000-£214,999)

46= Rachel Burden £215,000-£219,999 (down from £220,000-£224,999)

46= Kelly Cates £215,000-£219,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

46= Katie Razzall £215,000-£219,999 (down from £220,000-£224,999)

49= Matthew Amroliwala £210,000-£214,999 (up from £200,000-£204,999

49= Ben Brown £210,000-£214,999 (up from £200,000-£204,999)

49= Paddy O’Connell £210,000-£214,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

49= Jonny Dymond £210,000-£214,999 (up from £205,000-£209,999)

53= Owain Wyn Evans £205,000-£209,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

53= Lucy Hockings £205,000-£209,999 (up from £200,000-£204,999)

53= Caitriona Perry £205,000-£209,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)

53= John Simpson £205,000-£209,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)

53= Sumi Somaskanda £205,000-£209,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)

58= Maryam Moshiri £200,000-£204,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

58= Sally Nugent £200,000-£204,999 (no change)

60= Sally Bundock £195,000-£199,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)

60= Christian Fraser £195,000-£199,999 (down from £205,000-£209,999)

60= Jane Hill £195,000-£199,999 (down from £200,000-£204,999)

60= Annita McVeigh £195,000-£199,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)

60= Alex Scott £195,000-£199,999 (down from £205,000-£209,999)

65= Craig Charles £190,000-£194,999 (no change)

65= Steve Rosenberg £190,000-£194,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

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

68= Adrian Chiles £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

68= Michael Vaughan £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2024/25)

70 Steven Lai £178,000-£184,999 (no change)