The BBC releases its annual rich list every year, but some of the biggest names on the network don’t make the official cut due to working for the commercial sector of the network
The BBC’s official rich list has been revealed, but some names didn’t make the official cut. Every year, the corporation releases the salaries of some of its biggest earners, including Gary Lineker and Zoe Ball, who is the highest paid female at the network.
But a handful of famous faces who appear on the network don’t make the official cut due to working for the commercial branch of the BBC, BBC Studios, which does not have to publish the salaries of its famous faces.
The report for 2024/2025 revealed that Lineker, who has since stepped back from his work at the BBC, was paid a staggering £1.35 million. Meanwhile, Zoe, who works part-time, took home a hefty £519,000 – making her the highest paid female at the corporation.
However, some of the biggest stars whose salaries aren’t disclosed can now be revealed. Most on-screen talent register their earnings through their own businesses via Companies House, which details their takings as well as any money owed to them. But just who gets paid the most?
Stacey Solomon
Stacey may have found fame on The X Factor, but since turning her back on music, she’s gone on to become a household name thanks to her presenting work. The 35-year-old who fronts Sort Your Life Out has seen her earnings go from £1.4million in 2023 to £3million the following year.
Now, her business, Key Map Entertainment, is valued at over £7million. She’s banked the huge sum thanks to various business ventures including her TV work, collections with Primark and Asda, as well as working with Jet2.
Richard Osman
Richard presented the BBC One and BBC Two programme, Pointless, between 2009 and 2022, appearing on 22 seasons of the programme. Now, he fronts House of Games. But records for his business, Six Seven Entertainment, which lists him as the only director, have bagged a hefty salary.
Documents state his earnings at £3,702,23 in 2025, a hefty profit from the £1,904,477 from the year before.
Louis Theroux
He’s the face of dozens of documentaries on the BBC, having worked with them for almost three decades. However, it was recently speculated that Theroux has since decided to step back from the BBC and focus on working with Netflix.
Accounts for his business, Blobfish Limited, reveal a total of £2,883, 786, sitting in the bank, which saw an increase in around £1million between 2022 and 2023.
Graham Norton
Chat show king Graham interviews some of the biggest names in the world, including Hillary Clinton and Lady Gaga, on The Graham Norton Show, which he has fronted for 18 years. Last year, he signed a deal with ITV, estimated to be worth around £1million, to front the revived Wheel of Fortune.
So Television, his former production company, was also bought by ITV in a deal which was said to be worth around £17 million in 2012. Just last year, he took home a hefty sum of £2,774,145 from the production firm.
Michael McIntyre
Michael is arguably the face of Saturday night television on the BBC thanks to his shows, Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel and The Big Show. It was announced earlier this year by the Beebs that he had secured another two seasons of both programmes.
His production company, which he owns with TV producer Dan Baldwin, Hungry McBear, was worth a staggering £1,753,861 in 2023.
Claudia Winkleman MBE
Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman is perhaps one of the most recognisable faces on the network thanks to her signature heavy eyeliner and glossy black fringe. But her firm, Little Owl Production, shows a sum of £1,575,279 for her 2023 accounts.
It was recently claimed that she’d signed a new £1million deal to continue fronting The Traitors, as well as raking in around £600,000 for presenting Strictly with Tess Daly.
Rylan Clark
Like Stacey Solomon, Rylan found fame on The X Factor and while singing may be in his past, he’s pocketed a hefty amount thanks to his presenting work. He has his own BBC Radio 2 programme and just last year, he won a Bafta TV award alongside Rob Rinder for their show, Grand Tour.
According to his Companies House records, he profited a nice sum of £1,447,866.
Wynne Evans
Wynne may have found himself being axed by the Beebs after his controversial comments made on the Strictly Live tour came to light in January. His BBC Wales radio show was also scrapped by the corporation, leaving him to launch his own, The Welsh House.
Elsewhere, his travel series with Joanna Page was axed after just one series. But he still took home the sum of £734,000 in 2024.
John Torode
Torode, who fronted MasterChef alongside Gregg Wallace, was sacked by the corporation after “using an extremely offensive racist term,” which he strongly denies. He said on Instagram that he has “no recollection” of the incident, which is said to have happened after work drinks.
Caspar 10 Ltd, John’s firm, revealed he took home £47,351 for this year.
Gregg Wallace
Gregg has recently denied all allegations made against him during his time fronting MasterChef. The chef and TV star was fired by Banijay after a report found that 45 out of 83 allegations of inappropriate behaviour were upheld following a seven-month investigation.
But documents show that Lobster Enterprises, his firm, made £24,830, as of February of this year.
Source: Mirror
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