The UK’s influential Culture, Media & Sport Committee has written to both the BBC and The Sun over investigations into Huw Edwards and Dan Wootton.
11.07.2023 - 11:09 / deadline.com
The BBC has revealed that the amount paid to its biggest stars has surged to a six-year high, as Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker topped the talent pay table once again.
The BBC’s annual report revealed that salaries for presenters earning more than £150,000 ($195,000) totaled £23.4M in the 12 months to the end of March 2023.
This was a 15% increase compared with last year’s pay of £20.2M and was at its highest level since 2017, when the BBC spent £28.6M on its best-known presenters.
Lineker topped the ranking for the sixth consecutive year, with his salary remaining stable at £1.35M. Radio 2 DJ Zoe Ball was the best-paid female presenter, pocketing as much as £985,000.
In a year in which he anchored coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Huw Edwards had a pay rise of at least £25,000. He took home a minimum of £435,000 in the year to March.
Total talent pay, the figure for all presenter salaries, rose by £10M to £139.8M — the highest since 2020. Talent headcount was 24,450, another three-year high.
The pay disclosures are far from a complete picture. They do not include the earnings stars make from commercial arm BBC Studios and independent producers.
For example, Graham Norton is one of the BBC’s biggest stars, but he does not appear on the list because his chat show is produced through So Television.
The BBC is facing growing criticism for allegedly hiding the salaries of its presenters in BBC Studios, with more production teams and hosts moving over to the commercial unit from public service operations.
Below is a ranking of the BBC’s five highest-paid presenters:
(1) Gary Lineker: £1.3M (2022: £1.3M)
(2) Zoe Ball: £980,000-£984,999 (2022: £980,000-£984,999)
(3) Alan Shearer: £445,000-£449,999 (2022:
The UK’s influential Culture, Media & Sport Committee has written to both the BBC and The Sun over investigations into Huw Edwards and Dan Wootton.
Naman Ramachandran In the aftermath of the Huw Edwards matter, where the top BBC presenter was accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit photographs, a U.K. parliamentary inquiry has demanded further information from the corporation and Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid The Sun. The Sun broke the news that a then unnamed anchor, subsequently revealed as Edwards, had been taken off air while the BBC investigated allegations he had paid a teenager over £35,000 ($44,500) in exchange for explicit photographs since they were 17. On Tuesday, the U.K. House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee wrote to The Sun editor Victoria Newton asking about editorial procedures and details about the newspaper’s story verification and decision-making processes and to Elan Cross Stephens, acting BBC chair, requesting further details about the reviews into wider BBC processes the corporation is carrying out in light of the allegations and its plans to publish the findings.
Follow OK! on Threads here: https://www.threads.net/@ok_mag Danielle Bux and her ex-husband Gary Lineker proved that they're still the best of friends, as they were spotted holidaying together in Ibiza.The former couple have remained on good terms since they divorced in 2016, after seven years together. Father of four Gary, 62, later candidly admitted that the reason behind the split was that he didn't want any more children.
Sports presenter Gary Lineker proved exes can remain friends as he was spotted enjoying a holiday with his ex-wife Danielle Bux. The pair, who got divorced in 2016, looked relaxed in each other's company as they were pictured on a sun-soaked trip to Ibiza.
Jeremy Vine has agreed a financial settlement with a Twitter user who falsely identified him as the BBC presenter at the centre of the Huw Edwards furore.
Journalists and other personnel at BBC News remain divided over the organisation’s treatment of the story concerning its most senior news anchor Huw Edwards – identified on Wednesday as the presenter at the centre of allegations of spending thousands of pounds on sexual pictures.
TV personality Richard Madeley says he feels 'deeply sorry' for BBC presenter Huw Edwards after he was named at the centre of an alleged explicit images scandal.The Sun newspaper broke the allegations that claimed a BBC presenter paid a teenager £35,000 in exchange for explicit images.The teenager's mother claimed that she saw a picture of the presenter on her teenager's phone "sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear". On Tuesday, July 12, Huw Edwards was named by his wife Vicky Flind as the BBC star that was investigated over the scandal.
The BBC’s main primetime news presenter Huw Edwards and his family are receiving advice from former News of the World tabloid editor Andy Coulson, The Guardian reports.
EXCLUSIVE: The BBC has spoken to Newsnight journalists involved in investigating Huw Edwards after staff raised concerns about being approached for information regarding the star presenter’s conduct.
Last week, news broke in UK media outlets about a BBC broadcaster who allegedly paid £35,000 to a 17-year-old for sexually explicit photos. The scandal, which was first reported
Messages of support have been shared for the wife of newsreader Huw Edwards after he was named as the BBC presenter facing allegations over explicit images. Vicky Flind revealed his identity in a statement released on Wednesday night.
BBC News viewers rushed to social media to show their support to Cliver Myrie after appearing to spot him getting emotional after his colleague Huw Edwards was named as the high-profile star facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images.
BBC News viewers have shared their support for Clive Myrie after the presenter was seemingly moved to tears during a segment about the Huw Edwards scandal.On Wednesday (July 12), Edwards was revealed as the suspended presenter, after it was claimed that an notable BBC employee had paid a young person £35,000 for sexually explicit images.Following the allegations, the Met police confirmed that there was no evidence of a crime being committed. Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, later released a statement on his behalf.In the statement, Flind said that her husband was “suffering from serious mental health issues” and “is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future”.Edwards’ colleague Sophie Raworth announced the news on BBC News at Six, which was later discussed by Myrie.Myrie began: “He is one of the most recognisable faces on British television, anchoring national and international events often from this very chair.“But tonight, Huw Edwards, the lead anchor of the BBC’s News at Ten, has been revealed as the man at the centre of allegations over the payment of thousands of pounds to a young person for explicit pictures.”He continued: “After what have been five extremely difficult days, Huw Edwards has not resigned from the BBC.”As Myrie presented the story, viewers noted that he appeared to be tearful.I'm sure I saw tears in Clive Myrie's eyes tonight.
The BBC has resumed its investigation into the allegations against one of their presenters, which has now been revealed is newsreader Huw Edwards, after the Metropolitan Police said no criminal offence had been committed. It comes after they were asked to pause their internal inquiries by the police force whilst officers decided if there was any justification for a criminal investigation - which they have decided against.This decision means that the BBC are free to resume its own protocol, with Director general Tim Davie saying they will "assess how some complaints are red flagged up the organisation." While the investigation will look into Huw Edwards' conduct.
Speculation has been building in the U.K. about the identity of a “well-known” BBC presenter, described as a “household name,” accused in a report from The Sun of paying an underage teenage boy approximately £35,000 (approximately $60,000 Canadian) for explicit photos.
BBC Director General Tim Davie has warned that it will be complex for the corporation to get to the bottom of allegations against Huw Edwards while being mindful of its duty of care to the presenter.
The BBC has this evening named its newsreader Huw Edwards on air as the high-profile star facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit images after his wife issued a statement.
K.J. Yossman The BBC staffer accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit photographs has been named as Huw Edwards, one of the network’s top anchors. The equivalent of NBC’s Brian Williams (before he was fired for embellishing an Iraq war story), Edwards is one of the most senior on-air figures at the corporation and was the anchor chosen to break news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death to the world last September. He is the fourth highest paid figure at the BBC. Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, issued a statement on the anchor’s behalf saying Edwards is suffering “serious mental health issues” and has been hospitalized. “As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years,” she said. “The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters.”
Huw Edwards has been named as the BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images.
Jeremy Vine has urged the unnamed presenter at the heart of the BBC scandal 'to come forward', saying 'the longer he leaves it the worse it will be for him'.