Gary Lineker, Zoe Ball and Huw Edwards among the 10 highest paid BBC stars who took a pay cut in last year - but Scott Mills and Greg James received salary rises, corporation's annual report reveals

• Zoe Ball remains the broadcaster's second highest paid talent after pay cut
• But, Graham Norton has dropped off the list completely after leaving Radio 2 
• His replacement Claudia Winkleman is also missed off the list this year
• Her salary from Strictly is not included because it is BBC Studios production
• Overall, the corporation has cut the wage bill for its top talent by more than £2mGary Lineker, Zoe Ball and Huw Edwards are among the 10 highest paid BBC stars who took a pay cut in last year - but Scott Mills and Greg James both received salary rises, the corporation's annual report reveals.

  Match of the Day host Lineker is still the BBC's highest earning on-air talent taking home between £1,360,000 and £1,364,999. 

  Ball comes in second with a £1,130,000 to £1,134,999 salary between 2020 and 2021.

  This is despite both stars taking pay cuts.  Lineker slashed his £1.75million pay package by £400,000 as part of a five-year deal in December.

  Ms Ball also took a reduction in her pay when agreeing a new two-year deal as Radio 2's breakfast host because she felt 'uncomfortable' about her £1million rise.

  The remaining three stars in the top five -  Steve Wright, Huw Edwards and Question Time anchor Fiona Bruce - are all earning less than they did in 2019 to 2020.

  But Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills has received a pay rise, and appears on the top ten list for the first time with a salary of between £375,000 and £379,999. 

  And his colleague Greg James earned £310,000 to £314,999 - up from £229,999 one year prior.

  The report also revealed:  

  • The gender balance of the top 10 highest-paid on-air talent was the same in 2020/21 as 2019/20, with six males and four females;
  • Graham Norton is the only person to drop out of the top 10, after being the third-highest earner in 2019/20. He left his Radio 2 Saturday show for Virgin Radio in December last year, and appears on the 2020/21 list with a salary of £155,000-£159,999. Norton's salary from his popular TV chat show is not included because it is a BBC Studios production.
  • The one new name in the top 10 is Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, who is listed with a salary of £375,000-£379,999.
  • The total number of staff with salaries above £150,000 has gone down slightly, from 76 in 2019/20 to 72 in 2020/21.
  

  +4

  Gary Lineker is still the BBC's highest earning on-air talent - despite taking a £400,000 pay cut last year 

  

  +4

  Zoe Ball remains the broadcaster's second highest paid talent after asking for a reduction in her pay when agreeing a new two-year deal as Radio 2's breakfast host 

  Graham Norton has dropped off the list completely after leaving his Radio 2 Saturday show for Virgin Radio in December.

  His replacement Claudia Winkleman is also missed off the list - with her salary from hosting Strictly Come Dancing not included because it is a BBC Studios production.

  Overall, the corporation has cut the wage bill for its top talent by 10 per cent after some of its biggest names agreed to salary cuts or quit, its annual report for 2020/21 shows.

  The total amount handed out to the biggest stars - on £150,000 or more - has dropped by more than £2million in the space of a year.

  This means the corporation spent about £19.6million on its top stars, down from £21.7million the year before.

  

  +4

  But, Graham Norton has dropped off the list completely after leaving his Radio 2 Saturday show for Virgin Radio in December

  

  +4

  His replacement Claudia Winkleman is also missed off the list - with her salary from hosting Strictly Come Dancing not included because it is a BBC Studios production

  Last year, it was announced that Lineker had agreed to give up about £400,000 of his £1.75million pay package, as part of a five-year deal. 

  This was set to make Miss Ball the corporation's highest paid star, but it then emerged that the Radio 2 presenter had asked to take a 28 per cent pay cut to £980,000 to reflect the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

  This figure is lower than is listed in the 2020/21 annual report, which shows her earnings to be in the bracket of £1,130,000-£1,134,999 and which represents only a few months of Ball's new salary deal - including the reduction the presenter requested.

  A BBC spokeswoman said: 'Zoe Ball is a world-class broadcaster hosting Radio 2's flagship show and her professionalism and commitment to the Breakfast Show is extraordinary.

  'She's hugely talented and has made the show her own, with many millions of listeners tuning in each morning to the nation's most listened to Breakfast Show.' 

  Since 2017, the BBC has been made to publish the names of those earning more than £150,000 each year, a move instigated by the Government.

  But pay packets made through BBC Studios, the broadcaster's commercial arm, are not revealed.

  Claudia Winkleman, who has replaced Norton as Radio 2's Saturday host, does not feature on the list this year, with her salary from hosting Strictly Come Dancing also not included because it is also a BBC Studios production.Huw Edwards, Fiona Bruce, Vanessa Feltz, Ken Bruce and Emily Maitlis have all seen their salaries reduced, while radio presenters Scott Mills and Greg James have seen increases.

  The report says: 'Covid-19 has made the on-air environment highly volatile, with delays to productions and the cancellation of live events, especially sport.

  'Despite this, we have ensured a stable gender split of 56:44.

  'We have demonstrated our ability to deliver improvement since initial publication, with further improvement expected in the forthcoming year as we move towards a 50:50 balance on a gender basis.'

  It says that 'significant reductions' have been agreed with individuals who appear 'towards the very top of this list'.

  The report covers the first six months of BBC director-general Tim Davie's tenure.

  Mr Davie said: 'The BBC has delivered outstanding content and value to audiences in extraordinary circumstances this year. I am proud of all we have achieved to inform, educate and entertain the Nation in record numbers during the pandemic.

  'The BBC is responding to global competition and pressure on our finances. But, we know we must do much more to ensure licence fee payers across the UK get best value from the BBC, to maintain their trust and provide a service they cannot do without.

  'I am absolutely focused on making the reforms we need to ensure the BBC is positioned to offer all audiences the best possible service well into the future

•  Behold, the 'new' logo 

  A new 'tidier' BBC logo has been criticised as a waste of licence-payers' cash as it is almost identical to the existing one. 

  It still uses the corporation's own typeface – BBC Reith – which bosses say saves on cost, but has a larger gap between the blocks. 

  Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said the redesign was a 'waste of money'. 

  The BBC declined to say how much was spent but insisted: 'It would be wrong to suggest that the costs of the design of the blocks was significant.'