Gary Lineker Tops BBC Pay List at £1.35 Million 2024/25

The BBC has released its annual report listing the highest-paid on-air talent for 2024/25, with Gary Lineker topping the list for the eighth consecutive year, earning between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999. This is Lineker's final appearance on the list as he left the BBC in May 2025 following controversy over a social media post. Zoe Ball is the second highest earner, making between £515,000 and £519,999, a significant decrease from the previous year after leaving her Radio 2 Breakfast Show but returning with a Saturday show. Other top earners include Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer, Radio 1 presenter Greg James, and Question Time host Fiona Bruce, all of whom saw salary increases. However, several prominent BBC stars such as Claudia Winkleman, Graham Norton, and Michael McIntyre are not included in the report due to being paid through independent production companies or BBC Studios, the corporation's commercial arm, which exempts their salaries from public disclosure. The list highlights ongoing salary transparency for BBC on-air staff directly paid by the corporation but does not cover those paid via external entities.