The BBC's Annual Report for the year ending March 2026 reveals that former Radio 2 host Scott Mills was the corporation's top earner before his dismissal. Mills, 53, earned between £745,000 and £749,999, primarily for hosting the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, which he took over from Zoe Ball in January 2025, along with presenting Pop: Top 10 shows and other public service commitments.
Investigation and Dismissal
Mills was sacked by the BBC shortly before it emerged that the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into him in 2016 over allegations of serious sexual offences involving a boy under 16 between 1997 and 2000. His earnings in the previous year's report were between £355,000 and £359,999, placing him joint 11th alongside Naga Munchetty.
Gary Lineker's Earnings Drop
Former England footballer Gary Lineker, previously the BBC's highest-paid star, earned between £325,000 and £329,999 for the year to March 2026, ranking 15th. He had earned between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999 in the prior report. Lineker's 2025/2026 earnings came from his work on Match of the Day and other football coverage. He left the BBC in May 2025.
Other Notable Changes
Zoe Ball, who was second on last year's list, no longer appears, as she left the BBC to host an afternoon show on Greatest Hits Radio from September. Alan Shearer's earnings dropped from between £440,000 and £444,999 to between £390,000 and £394,999, placing him sixth.
Top 10 Earners
The top-earning female staff member was political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg, with a salary between £405,000 and £409,999. BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James was second, earning between £440,000 and £444,999, while Northern Irish radio host Stephen Nolan was third with between £425,000 and £429,999. Kuenssberg ranked fourth alongside Vernon Kay. Justin Webb was seventh (£375,000–£379,999), Naga Munchetty eighth (£360,000–£364,999), Fiona Bruce ninth (£345,000–£349,999), and Sophie Raworth tenth (£340,000–£344,999).
Gender Representation
Four women featured in this year's top 10, up from three the previous year. The list excludes individuals paid through independent production companies or BBC Studios. The BBC is required to publish salaries of on-air and off-air staff earning more than £178,000 from licence fee revenue.
