Graham Norton’s salary drops by 200k, as BBC reveals its top 12 highest earners are all men

Jul 11 2018
Written by Ella Braidwood

Graham Norton hosting his show on the BBC. (BBC)

Talkshow host and comedian Graham Norton’s salary has fallen by more than £200,000 this year, as the BBC has revealed that its top 12 highest paid stars are all men.

The BBC’s latest list of highest paid salaries revealed that Gary Lineker has surpassed Chris Evans as the top earner in the financial year 2017/18, with him receiving between £1.75m-£1.76m.

The publication reveals that radio presenter Nick Grimshaw’s salary has risen to £400,000-£409,999 this year, an increase from £350,000-£399,999 in the financial year 2016/2017.

Radio 1 DJ Scott Mill’s got £280,000-£289,999 this year. He was on £250,000-£299,999 last financial year.

The list showed that Norton’s salary fell from £850,000-£899,999 to £600,000-£609,999. Jeremy Vine and John Humphrys also saw their pay dip since the previous financial year.

Claudia Winkleman remains the BBC’s top paid woman, earning £370,000-£379,999. However, her salary has dropped from last year, when she was on £450,000-£500,000. Presenter Vanessa Feltz is the second highest female earner and is now on £330,000-£339,999.

Clare Balding, meanwhile, is now on £180,000-£189,999. She was on £150,000-£199,999 last year.

Nick Grimshaw got a pay rise from the BBC this year. (Tim P. Whitby/Getty)

Eight more women are included on the list of earners above £150,000 this year, including Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis, who is now on £220,000-£229,999, Europe editor Katya Adler, and Radio 4 presenter Sarah Montague.

The BBC first published a list of its highest earners in July 2017, after the government ordered the corporation to reveal the names and salaries of its on air-talent earning above £150,000 last year.

Last year the BBC’s top seven biggest earners were all men – but this figure increased to 12 in 2017/2018.

Two-thirds of the full list (66 percent) of on-air talent on more than £150,000 are men and 34 percent are women.

The only woman to move up a pay bracket is journalist and broadcaster Sophie Raworth.

The BBC’s list includes presenters from news, sport, radio, and some TV entertainment shows. This year, the corporation appears to have narrowed many of the pay brackets so that they are more accurate.

However,the list does not include the BBC’s best paid actors and comedians. Some hosts have also been removed from the list, following a change in the corporation’s structure, meaning that programmes made by BBC Studios do not have to be included.

Clare Balding earned £180,000-£189,999 in the 2017/2018 financial year. (Tom Dulat/Getty Images).

The publication doesn’t include shows made by external production companies. The list does therefore not include Norton’s annual fee for his talkshow, which is made by So Television.

Last year’s list prompted a public outcry over the gender and ethnicity pay gap, with the publication dominated by white men.