Gary Lineker has been named the BBC’s highest-paid on-air talent for the eighth year running, with radio presenter Zoe Ball coming in second place on the corporation’s latest annual report
Former Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker has once again topped the BBC’s highest-earning on-air talent list for the eighth year running and for the last time.
The 64 year old, who bid farewell to the BBC prematurely at the close of the previous Premier League season in May, was reported to have pocketed between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999 in the corporation’s most recent annual report for 2024/2025, for his work on Match Of The Day and coverage of European football.
Radio presenter Zoe Ball was the second highest earner, raking in between £515,000 and £519,999, for her stint on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, which she departed on December 20 last year.
Ball has since made a comeback to a new Saturday afternoon programme on the station, which she started hosting in May 2025.
Match Of The Day pundit Alan Shearer was the third top earner with a salary of between £440,000 and £444,999.
The former Newcastle United forward will continue to dissect football on the BBC in the upcoming season alongside Match Of The Day’s new hosts Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan.
His pay also included work on the BBC’s coverage of European football tournaments, such as the Uefa Champions League.
BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Greg James came fourth on the list, earning between £425,000 and £429,999, for work which also encompassed his Radio 4 show Rewinder, while Fiona Bruce and Nick Robinson were jointly the fifth highest earners, both taking home between £410,000 and £414,999.
Bruce’s earnings encompass her work on Question Time, other BBC One presenting duties and coverage of the UK general election, while Robinson’s includes his presenting roles, Political Thinking and Today podcasts, and his work covering the UK general election.
The salary reveal follows ex-England striker Lineker’s early departure from his presenting role after a social media spat where he shared a post about Zionism featuring an image of a rat, a historically antisemitic insult.
Lineker has since issued a full apology for the incident and will no longer lead the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup next season.
The remainder of the top 10 earners included BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Stephen Nolan, who raked in between £405,000 and £409,999, TV host Laura Kuenssberg, who earned between £395,000 and £399,999, BBC Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay, who pocketed between £390,000 and £394,999, and journalist Justin Webb, who made between £365,000 and £369,999.
The annual report and salary disclosure comes as the BBC has been in the news for its coverage of the Glastonbury Festival, the Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary, and a report into Gregg Wallace’s conduct on MasterChef.
On Monday, Wallace’s MasterChef co-host John Torode confirmed that a standalone allegation of racist language against him was upheld in the same report.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
