The BBC Radio 2 and Strictly It Takes Two presenter is sitting pretty in the number one spot, taking over from Gary Lineker after her huge pay rise
Zoe Ball has been named the BBC’s top earner after a whopping pay rise of £1million.
Following backlash over the gender pay gap, the BBC Radio 2 and Strictly It Takes Two presenter will take over from former top earner Gary Lineker when it comes to the broadcaster’s staff pay packets.
Match Of The Day host Lineker was the BBC’s top earner during the 2019/2020 tax year with a salary of £1.75million, compared to Zoe’s £1.36million.
But after he agreed to take a 23 per cent pay cut when he signed a new five year deal with the Beeb, Zoe is expected to take over from his as the top earner.
Zoe’s pay rise comes just one month after reports that she’d lost a million listeners on her Radio 2 Breakfast Show.
She pulled in 8.2million listeners every week in the final quarter of 2019, compared to the 9.1million Chris Evans brought in before he left in 2018.
But the BBC Annual Report has today revealed that the 49-year-old’s pay has soared from £370,000 last year to a minimum of £1.36million.
She will take over from Gary Lineker, who has taken a 23 per cent pay cut as part of the new five year deal he’s signed with the BBC.
Gary earned £1.75million in 2019/20, meaning a 23 per cent reduction would take this figure to around £1.35million.
This is just below Zoe’s £1.36million salary, which she earned in the 2019 to 2020 tax year.
The BBC came under fire after reports showed that many of its female stars were paid less than their male counterparts.
While the top earners are still mostly male, four of the top 10 are now female, and they’ve all been given pay rises.
Fiona Bruce, in at number six, has gone up by £195,000 to be earning at least £450,000, while Vanessa Feltz has had a raise of £50,000, taking her to at least £405,000.
However, some of the top earning men have seen their salaries go down like Gary’s has.
Alan Shearer has taken a £50,000 cut, making his salary at least £390,000, while Huw Edwards’ pay has gone down by £25,000, meaning he now earns at least £465,000.
The BBC has revealed that 76 of its presenters earn more money than PM Boris Johnson, who is on £150,000.
