BBC Salaries Revealed: Lineker's Pay Plummets, Mills Tops List Before Dismissal
Annual report details significant shifts in on-air talent earnings and a drop in TV licence holders.
Sarah Connor
The BBC's annual report for 2025/26 reveals a dramatic restructuring of on-air talent salaries, with Gary Lineker's earnings plummeting and Scott Mills topping the list before his dismissal.
Gary Lineker's pay plummeted from £1,350,000-£1,354,999 in 2024/25 to £325,000-£329,999 in 2025/26.
Lineker, once the BBC's highest-earning media figure, saw that status fundamentally change.
Scott Mills earned between £745,000 and £749,999 for the year ending March 2026, establishing him as the highest-paid presenter at the BBC.
This financial revelation follows a police investigation into historical sexual offense accusations against Mills, which concluded without charges.
Laura Kuenssberg emerged as the highest-paid female staff member, securing a salary between £405,000 and £409,999.
Greg James held the position of second-highest earner, with his salary ranging between £440,000 and £444,999.
Stephen Nolan was the third-highest-paid staff member at the BBC, while Laura Kuenssberg and Vernon Kay tied for fourth place, both earning £405,000-£409,999.
Fiona Bruce secured ninth place with a salary between £345,000 and £349,999, maintaining her presence among the top earners.
Four women featured in this year's top 10, an increase from three in the previous year, showing a shift in gender representation at the top tiers of BBC pay.
Naga Munchetty is listed at £360,000-£364,999, and Jason Mohammad's salary increased to between £290,000 and £294,999.
Justin Webb is now the highest-paid presenter on Radio 4's Today programme, marking shifts in news talent compensation across different platforms.
Talent above the £500,000 threshold had been reduced by 50% across the past seven years.
Rhodri Talfan Davies stated that talent above the £500,000 threshold had been reduced by 50% across the past seven years.
Davies also confirmed that on-air presenter costs over the last seven years have decreased by approximately £20 million.
He projected that this downward trend in presenter costs will continue in the months to come.
The financial landscape also reveals challenges; the number of TV licenses in force dropped by 539,000 to 23.3 million in the last financial year, impacting the corporation's revenue streams significantly.
This strategic shift follows a period of intense financial scrutiny and operational streamlining. The BBC's staff headcount has reduced by 10% since 2020, alongside £1.5 billion in savings made during the current charter period.
This downward trend in presenter costs will continue in the months to come.
Year-on-year changes in pay bands compared to 2024/25 are indicated by icons: ▲ for up, ▼ for down, ► for the same bracket, and ★ for new entries or re-entries.
Meanwhile, BBC News has faced criticism for issues including systemic bias, misleading editing, and misquoting political figures.
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