Gary Lineker has appeared on the BBC's latest high earners list despite officially working for only two months of the financial year. The corporation's 2025/26 annual report reveals that the former Match of the Day host earned between £325,000 and £329,999 for his final months at the BBC, after quitting in May 2025 amid controversy over a social media post about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Lineker drops out of top 10 for first time in a decade
Lineker, who had been the BBC's highest-paid on-air personality for eight consecutive years, dropped out of the top 10 earners for the first time in a decade. His previous annual salary was £1.35 million. The BBC's annual salaries list only includes talent paid directly by the corporation; income from BBC Studios or independent production companies is not counted.
Lineker left the BBC without a pay-off, according to the corporation, and has since signed contracts with ITV and Netflix. He continues to co-host the podcast "The Rest Is Football" with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. On the podcast, Lineker said: "Since I quit the BBC, or since I finished with the BBC is probably a better way of describing it, I've won more awards than in my life! I should have left 10 years ago!"
Scott Mills tops list despite sacking
Disgraced Radio 2 DJ Scott Mills topped the BBC high earners list with a salary of £745,000-£749,999, more than double his previous pay of £355,000-£359,999. Mills took over the Radio 2 breakfast show in January 2025 but was later sacked by the BBC over his "personal conduct" involving a historic relationship. The Mirror reported that the alleged victim in a 2017 police investigation had been under 16. A police investigation was launched in 2016, which Mills said he "fully co-operated" with, before it was closed in 2019 due to insufficient evidence. The BBC confirmed that Mills was not paid a severance package.
Top 10 BBC earners 2025/26
- 1) Scott Mills: £745,000-£749,999
- 2) Greg James: £440,000-£444,999
- 3) Stephen Nolan: £425,000-£429,999
- 4)= Laura Kuenssberg: £405,000-£409,999
- 4)= Vernon Kay: £405,000-£409,999
- 6) Alan Shearer: £390,000-£394,999
- 7) Justin Webb: £375,000-£379,999
- 8) Naga Munchetty: £360,000-£364,999
- 9) Fiona Bruce: £345,000-£349,999
- 10) Sophie Raworth: £340,000-£344,999
Other notable earners include Greg James, Stephen Nolan, Laura Kuenssberg, Vernon Kay, and Alan Shearer. The BBC's annual report highlights the salaries of its highest-paid stars, but the list does not provide a complete picture of earnings, as income from BBC Studios or independent production companies is excluded.
