Scott Mills, the former Radio 2 breakfast host, earned approximately £745,000 before his dismissal amid serious allegations. The BBC's annual report reveals significant changes in presenter salaries.
New Delhi, India Jul 14, 2026 ALN: DJ Scott Mills was the highest paid presenter at the BBC before he was sacked earlier this year, according to the corporation's annual report.
The 53-year-old was paid around £745,000 for hosting the Radio 2 breakfast show until his exit in March, when it emerged he had been accused of historical sexual offences. Mills co-operated with a police investigation and was not charged. The circumstances surrounding his dismissal have raised significant questions regarding the BBC's policies on presenter conduct and the implications for its reputation as a public service broadcaster.
Other top earners at the BBC last year included Greg James, Stephen Nolan, Laura Kuenssberg, Vernon Kay, and Alan Shearer, but Gary Lineker dropped significantly after leaving two months into the financial year. Lineker's departure, alongside Mills's, has been a focal point in discussions about the BBC's financial health and its approach to talent management.
The latest annual report also shows the number of TV licences in force went down by 539,000 last year. In total, the number of TV licences has dropped by two million in the past five years - from 25.3 million in 2020-21 to 23.3 million last year. This decline in TV licence sales reflects broader trends in media consumption, with many viewers opting for on-demand services over traditional television, thereby questioning the sustainability of the BBC's funding model.
The annual salaries list is far from a complete picture of what top talent at the BBC earn, as the corporation only publishes the names of stars it pays directly. A large number of household names, such as Claudia Winkleman, Michael McIntyre, and Graham Norton, are missing from the list because they are paid via production companies. This lack of transparency has led to criticisms regarding fairness and equity in pay, as the public remains largely uninformed about the full financial arrangements within the corporation.
As Mills was sacked by the BBC just a few days short of the financial year ending, the £745,000 listed in the annual report represents almost his full annual salary. That includes his tenure on the Radio 2 breakfast show as well as other BBC work, including several editions of Scott & Rylan's Pop: Top 10 podcast. His high salary reflects the competitive nature of radio broadcasting, where successful presenters can command substantial fees based on their audience reach and popularity.
Sara Cox recently took over as the host of Radio 2's breakfast show, with the BBC yet to announce who will permanently replace her at teatime on the station. This transition marks a significant change in the programming strategy for Radio 2, which has traditionally been known for its strong lineup of presenters and engaging content. The BBC's decision to appoint Cox indicates an effort to refresh its programming while navigating the controversies surrounding its previous stars.
In March, it emerged that Mills had been accused of serious sexual offences involving a teenager under 16 in the late 1990s. A police investigation was launched in 2016, which Mills said he "fully co-operated" with, before it was closed in 2019 after prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. The allegations and subsequent investigation have raised discussions around the BBC's responsibilities regarding its presenters and the implications of public trust in media institutions. The BBC's handling of such allegations is under scrutiny, with many advocating for stricter guidelines to protect both the integrity of the organization and the welfare of potential victims.
Mills's salary in his final year was a significant increase on the £355,000 he earned in the previous financial year, when he hosted Radio 2's afternoon show for 10 months and the breakfast show for two. His predecessor at breakfast, Zoe Ball, was paid more than £1.36 million during her first year presenting the Radio 2 breakfast show in 2019. However, Ball's salary reduced over the six years she was on breakfast, and she earned just over £950,000 in her final full year in the job. That means the BBC saved about £200,000 when it replaced Ball with Mills. Ball no longer appears on the list and recently left Radio 2 for Greatest Hits Radio, highlighting the shifting landscape of radio broadcasting and the increasing competition among stations for top talent.
For the last six years, Ball and former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker have topped the star salaries list, but both exited their respective shows last year. Lineker left the BBC last summer after sharing an Instagram reel that featured an antisemitic illustration, for which he apologised. He has gone on to sign new contracts with ITV and Netflix. His departure from the BBC has been a significant event, not just because of his high profile, but also due to the ongoing discussions about the BBC's editorial independence and the balance between personal expression and professional responsibility. This incident has sparked debates about the extent to which broadcasters should regulate the conduct of their stars, particularly in the age of social media where personal opinions can quickly become public controversies.
His former role on Match of the Day was split when he left, and the show is now hosted by three presenters, who are individually paid significantly less than Lineker was. Mark Chapman was paid around £335,000, Gabby Logan made £290,000, and Kelly Cates earned £215,000 - considerably lower than Lineker's £1.3 million even when combined. However, all of the new trio's salaries represent a wide variety of sports presenting work across the BBC, not just Match of the Day. This restructuring may reflect a broader trend within the BBC to diversify its presenting roles and reduce dependency on single high-profile stars.
Laura Kuenssberg's salary increased slightly this year, taking in her Sunday morning programme and Weekend cast, as well as a weekly column on the BBC website. On Radio 4's flagship Today programme, Justin Webb is now the highest paid presenter, earning around £375,000 for hosting that and Americast. Nick Robinson's salary dropped by about £80,000, in a year that saw the Today podcast, which he co-hosted, come to an end. These fluctuations in pay among presenters highlight the competitive nature of broadcasting and the need for the BBC to adapt to changing audience preferences and consumption patterns.
As usual, the star salaries list does not provide the complete picture of what top talent at the BBC earn. Hundreds of big names are not listed because they are paid via production companies, rather than by the BBC directly. As a result, stars such as Claudia Winkleman, Michael McIntyre, Graham Norton, Rylan Clark, and Stacey Solomon are just a few of the major stars who don't have their salaries published. This situation creates a perception of opacity in the BBC's financial dealings, which can undermine public confidence in its operations.
Alex Jones, Romesh Ranganathan, Lord Sugar, Bradley Walsh, Paddy McGuinness, the Strictly judges, and the Dragons' Den investors are also absent from the list. The remaining names on the list are celebrities and executives who are paid directly by the BBC above the £178,000 threshold. Meanwhile, some stars who do appear are listed only for some of their BBC work. Fiona Bruce, for example, made this year's top 10 after earning £345,000 for Question Time and bulletins, but not for hosting Antiques Roadshow. This selective reporting raises questions about how the BBC prioritizes its talent and the implications for its overall pay structure.
This ongoing issue of transparency in salary reporting has sparked debates about fairness and equity within the broadcasting industry. Critics argue that the lack of complete disclosure allows for significant disparities in pay that may not reflect the public service ethos of the BBC. As the corporation navigates these complexities, the implications for its public funding model and its reputation as a trusted broadcaster remain critical topics of discussion. The BBC's ability to maintain public trust while managing its financial obligations and talent relationships will be crucial as it faces increasing scrutiny from both the public and government officials.
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