Scott Mills, the former BBC Radio 2 presenter, topped the corporation's highest-paid list for the year ending March 2026, earning between £745,000 and £749,999, despite being sacked in March. The list, released by the BBC, includes staff paid over £178,000 from licence fee revenue.
Top earners and departures
Mills took over the Radio 2 Breakfast Show from Zoe Ball in January 2025 and was dismissed shortly before it emerged that the Metropolitan Police had investigated him in 2016 over allegations of serious sexual offences involving a boy under 16 between 1997 and 2000. In a statement, Mills said: 'As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.' He added that he hoped the public and media would respect his wish for no further comment.
Former England footballer Gary Lineker, once the BBC's highest-paid star, earned between £325,000 and £329,999, placing him 15th, down from £1,350,000-£1,354,999 last year, after leaving the BBC in May 2025. Zoe Ball, second in 2025, no longer appears on the list; she will present an afternoon show on Greatest Hits Radio from September.
Female representation and pay changes
Four women feature in this year's top 10, up from three last year. Laura Kuenssberg became the highest-paid female staff member with a salary of between £405,000 and £409,999, joint fourth with Vernon Kay. Alan Shearer saw his pay decrease from £440,000-£444,999 to £390,000-£394,999, dropping to sixth.
Greg James earned between £440,000 and £444,999, becoming the second-highest-paid staff member, while Stephen Nolan earned £425,000-£429,999 for third place. Justin Webb earned £375,000-£379,999 (seventh), Naga Munchetty £360,000-£364,999 (eighth), Fiona Bruce £345,000-£349,999 (ninth), and Sophie Raworth £340,000-£344,999 (10th).
Comparison with 2025 list
The 2025 top earner was Gary Lineker, followed by Zoe Ball, Alan Shearer, Greg James, Nick Robinson, Fiona Bruce, Stephen Nolan, Laura Kuenssberg, Vernon Kay, and Scott Mills. This year, Mills' pay more than doubled, while Shearer and Bruce saw reductions. The list does not include payments from independent production companies or BBC Studios.
