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As Donald Trump threatens legal action against the Beeb, the Mirror takes a look at the broadcaster’s most recent list of top earners, which includes some surprises

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US President Donald Trump is suing the BBC to the tune of $5 billion, yesterday claiming, “they put words in my mouth”.

POTUS is here referring to an episode of Panorama which aired a week before the 2024 US election, which showed comments he made to supporters ahead of the deadly 2021 Capitol riots. The episode appears to show Trump telling crowds: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell.”

However, these words were created from different segments of the 79-year-old’s speech, delivered nearly one hour apart. The BBC has since issued an apology over the edit, admitting to an “error of judgment” while clarifying there was no legal basis for Trump’s claim. As the row continues, the Mirror takes a look at the Beeb’s list of top earners.

READ MORE: Donald Trump sues BBC $5 billion for Panorama speech edit: ‘They put words in my mouth’

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Back in July, the BBC published the salaries of its highest-paid stars as part of its annual report, and a number of significant changes amongst the top earners. Former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who this year left the corporation was once again the top earner with a take home salary of £1.35million. This was followed by former Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball, who took home £515,000 despite being replaced on the Breakfast Show by Scott Mills.

Match of the Day Host Alan Shearer emerged as the third highest paid BBC star of the year, increasing his salary from the year before after covering the Euros last year. The former Newcastle star boosted his paycheck to almost half a million pounds with his punditry at the tournament.

Radio host and political expert Nick Robinson also had a pay rise last year, while Radio 2 host Vernon Kay joined the top 10 for the first time. Perhaps surprisingly, BBC North America Editor Justin Webb also made the top 10, with a very impressive salary of £365,000.

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The BBC’s top earners:

1. Gary Lineker £1,350,000-£1,354,999 (no change)
2. Zoe Ball £515,000-£519,999 (down from £950,000-£954,999)
3. Alan Shearer £440,000-445,000 (up from £380,000-£384,999)
4. Greg James £425,000-£429,999 (up from £415,000-£419,999)
5. Fiona Bruce £410,000-£414,999 (up from £405,000-£409,999) and Nick Robinson £410,000-£414,999 (Up from £345,000 and £349,000)
6. Stephen Nolan £405,000-£409,999 (up from £400,000-£404,999)
7. Laura Kuenssberg £395,000-£399,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)
8. Vernon Kay £390,000 – £394,999 (joined Radio 2 in May 2023)
9. Justin Webb £365,000-£369,999 (up from £320,000-£324,999)
10. Naga Munchetty £355,000-£359,999 (up from £345,000-£349,999)
11. Scott Mills £355,000-£359,999 (up from £315,000 – £319,999)

Last year, Vernon Kay made the list for the very first time after joining BBC Radio 2. The Bolton born presenter replaced Ken Bruce and took home a whopping £320,000 from the corporation in his first year. Despite this staggering sum, his take-home pay was almost 20 per cent less than what Ken earned in the previous year in the slot.

Meanwhile, disgraced BBC News host Huw Edwards also remained on the list last year, coming in at third place with a wage of £475,000-£479,999 (up from £435,000-£439,999). Edwards, who had been off-air since July 2023, left the BBC after being named as the presenter at the centre of days of allegations and speculation regarding his private life.

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READ MORE: M&S’ coffee and cake hampers are now under £5 in time for Christmas gifting

Rob Reiner’ son, Nick, 32, has been booked for the murder of his parents, who were tragically found stabbed to death at their home in Los Angeles on Sunday

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Shocking shots of Rob Reiner’s son, Nick, 32, being arrested for his parents’ murder have been released.

Hollywood is still reeling after it was revealed that the beloved When Harry Met Sally director, 78, and photographer wife, Michele, 68, had been found stabbed to death at their home in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Shortly after the tragic news broke, their son Nick was arrested 15 miles away from the family home and was pictured being surrounded by cops.

Staff at the Pierside Santa Monica motel – where he had been staying – claimed they called authorities after discovering a trail of blood inside Nick’s hotel room.

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Nick had earlier checked in to The Pierside Santa Monica, where staff later discovered a shower ‘full of blood’ and a trail leading off his bed, as well as a window covered up by bedsheets. He checked in at 4am, just hours after he and his parents reportedly had an intense argument at Conan O’Brien’s holiday party.

In dramatic photos released this morning, the 32-year-old, wearing jeans, a striped jacket and baseball cap, can be seen lying face down on the ground in handcuffs before he was put in the back of a police car by armed officers in Los Angeles.

Nick is now held without bail and will appear in court at 8:30 am local time on Tuesday, according to jail records.

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Rob’s daughter, Romy, 28, tragically discovered her parents dead in their Los Angeles home, with sources reporting she went to check on her film director father and mum after their masseuse said they failed to answer the door.

It has also been reported that comedy legend Billy Crystal and his wife Janice rushed to their friends Rob and Michele’s home to say their goodbyes moments after the couple were murdered.

Billy and Janice arrived in time to see first responders working on the bodies. Romy allegedly called the Crystals about the tragedy after reporting the murders to the police.

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Nick, who is being held in custody in Downtown Los Angeles, has spent more than a decade battling addiction and has spoken openly about his struggles.

He has previously said he underwent multiple stints in rehabilitation, experienced periods of homelessness, and frequently clashed with his parents while in the grip of his addiction.

In a 2018 episode of Dopey, a podcast exploring the complex path between addiction and recovery, Nick recalled first entering rehab at just 15 years old. He said that over time he learned how to manipulate the system to leave treatment early.

He admitted: “I’d think, ‘I just want to go home,’ so I’d stay sober just long enough to get discharged. Then I’d go home and start using again.”

Following the shocking double murder of American film director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, disturbing details have emerged of a loud argument between his son Nick and guests at a party the night before

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In the wake of the chilling murders of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle on Sunday afternoon, disturbing details have emerged of what happened at a party hosted by US talk show king Conan O’Nrien just hours before the horrific killings.

According to police, Princess Bride director Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife of 36 years, Michele, 66, were slain in their sprawling six-bed family home in Brentwood, LA on Sunday afternoon.

And as Hollywood tries to make sense of the shocking double-murder, it has emerged that Ron and his middle son Nick Reiner, several sources have claimed to PEOPLE, got into a fiery dispute at a Christmas party the night before, hosted by Conan O’Brian.

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It follows a report by TMZ on Monday which claimed that the 78-year-old Hollywood heavyweight Reiner and his son were embroiled in a “very loud argument”.

One of the sources claimed to PEOPLE: “Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous.”

It has now been revealed that Nick became ‘disruptive and upset’ when his parents expressed their worries about his health at Conan’s party, reports NBC. It’s reported that Rob and Michele then left the party following the set-to, according to TMZ.

Nick had accompanied his parents to the event, and sources later claimed to Sky News’s US partner NBC that the couple were both upset and embarrassed by his behaviour, and expressed concert about his health, citing another source alleging that Nick’s behaviour had made other guests feel uncomfortable.

They claimed that the screenwriter had interrupted a conversation between filmmaker Bill Hader and two other guests and when told it was a private conversation – stood still and stared at the group, before storming off in a rage.

Devastatingly, just hours later, Rob and Michelle Reiner were found murdered in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, Dec. 14, their bodies allegedly found by their daughter, Romy – with the LA Fire Department called to the gruesome scene at around 3.30pm local time, to provide medical aid.

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First responders discovered Rob and Michele’s bodies. Although officials did not release any further details, a police source who spoke to the Associated Press believe the couple suffered brutal stab wounds and were found with their throats slit.

Their son Nick, 32, was later arrested and charged with murder, and is now being held without bail.

Rob met his wife while directing classic romcom When Harry Met Sally… and the pair went on to marry in 1989, and have three children together – actors Jake and Romy, and screenwriter Nick.

Of all their children, Nick is the one who has been most vocal over the years – and had previously been outspoken about his battles with drug addiction, as well as homelessness – revealing that his troubles began when he was just a teen.

In 2016, he revealed that his stints in rehab began at just 15, and as his addiction battles intensified, he drifted from home and would end up on the street for stretches, in various US states.

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In a 2018 podcast appearance, Nick once confessed that he had trashed the family home he was living in while high on meth.

‘It’s not much of a story. I got totally spun out on uppers — I think it was coke and something else — and I was up for days on end,’ he revealed, before adding that he ‘punched’ various appliances around the guest house.

Rob Reiner’s 2015 film which he made with Nick, Being Charlie, was partly inspired by Nick’s younger years.

The late director was the hand behind many iconic movies, including This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Stand By Me, The Princess Bride (1987), and A Few Good Men (1992). He was the son of acclaimed comedian Carl Reiner, and make his big break in Hollywood on popular sitcom All in the Family.

Tracy Reiner, 61, whom the director adopted during his previous marriage to Penny Marshall, said she was devastated as she had last seen the director just one day before he was killed.

‘I came from the greatest family ever,’ she told NBC News. ‘I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.’ She added that she had seen her father at a family gathering the day before the shock attack.

Rob Reiner made efforts to help his son in the years leading up to the director and his wife’s sad death, with Rob and son Nick making a movie about their family troubles and addiction

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Doting father Rob Reiner made efforts to help his troubled son before his and wife Michele Singer Reiner’s shocking deaths. The Hollywood director and his wife were found dead in their home, with their son Nick having been booked for the murders.

It has been reported that Nick and Rob argued at a party hosted by an American chat show host Conan O’Brien hours before the tragedy. Reports in the US say the couple both had their throats slashed following an alleged row.

Nick is being held in custody in Los Angeles. The bodies of Rob and Michele were discovered by their daughter Romy, who allegedly went to the property when a masseuse booked in to visit the couple told her there was no answer at the door. Romy is said to have raised the alarm with police and told them that a family member “should be a suspect” as they were “dangerous”.

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Before his passing, Rob took time out of his busy career to direct a movie which was written by his son Nick about their family troubles. The movie, which was called Being Charlie, documented Nick’s struggles with drug addiction and homelessness.

The script was penned by Nick and his friend Matt Elisofon, who he met in rehab. It follows the story of a fictional version of the family, with dad Rob even taking a starring role, playing a celebrity actor who is now running for governor in the movie.

At the end of the movie, Rob’s character apologises to Nick’s, something which the real-life actor and director stated had happened and was owed to his boy.

Rob and Michele admitted that they didn’t always listen to their own son and Michele said they were “influenced” by others.

Speaking to the LA Times at the Toronto International Film Festival at the time of the movie’s premiere, Rob said: “When Nick would tell us that it wasn’t working for him, we wouldn’t listen. We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son.”

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Speaking about her own experiences, Michele added: “We were so influenced by these people. They would tell us he’s a liar, that he was trying to manipulate us. And we believed them.”

Nick spoke of his own struggles, sharing: “I got sick of it. I got sick of doing that …. I come from a nice family. I’m not supposed to be out there on the streets and in homeless shelters doing all these things.”

In a separate interview in 2016, Nick said that he was sent to rehab around his 15th birthday but refused to go back many times after that. He said: “If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless.”

Rob said “tough love” wasn’t in his nature. He added: “If your kid is going through rough times, as the parent, your main job is to keep your child safe. So I would do anything. At the end of the day, I know my child better than an expert does and I probably should have trusted my own instinct and that’s one of the things I did learn about the whole experience.”

On Monday Nick was arrested for his parents’ murder. He was met by police at a Los Angeles subway station in Exposition Park, 15 miles from his parents’ mansion in Brentwood.

It has been reported that Nick had earlier checked in to The Pierside Santa Monica, where staff allegedly discovered a shower ‘full of blood’ and a trail leading off of his bed, as well as a window, which was covered up by bedsheets.

Shoppers can snap up Amanda Holden’s ‘fabulous’ shearling-trimmed coatigan for 20% less thanks to Karen Millen’s limited time sale

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Amanda Holden has proved her style credentials yet again and wowed us with another stylish look that’s perfect for the festive season.

Described by the TV and radio presenter as “fabulous”, Amanda raved about her chic coatigan from Karen Millen. The coat/cardigan hybrid is currently 20% off, reducing the price from £299 to £239.20.

The Viscose Blend Compact Knit Shealing Cuff Belted Coatigan is the kind of piece that instantly elevates an outfit by combining the polish of a tailored coat with the warmth and comfort of a cardigan.

What makes it perfect for Christmas and party season is the shearling-trim cuffs, which add a playful yet fashionable twist without feeling too over the top.

READ MORE: Ugg’s stylish clogs ‘keep feet so warm’ and are now 70% off in flash sale

READ MORE: Stacey Solomon says her under-£20 hand warmers are her ‘best discovery of 2025’

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Perfect for slipping over an evening look or dressing up jeans and a simple knit, Amanda couldn’t rave about the cardigan enough calling it “super warm and very Christmassy”.

Available in black and cream, Amanda opted for the black colour and kept it simple with a monochromatic look.

Although on the pricier side at over £200, this is an investment piece that you can come back to time and time again, thanks to its clean, timeless silhouette and classic colour.

Plus, with Amanda Holden’s stamp of approval and a £60 discount, shoppers are already snapping this piece up with sizes selling out in both colourways.

Amanda may have also found the perfect Christmas party dress for adding a sparkle to your holiday occasion wear. Taking to social media last week to show off her festive look, Amanda looked glamorous in a structured gold mini dress she described as a “Christmas bauble dress”.

Australian actor Martin Grelis has died at the age of 57. The performer, who appeared in the sci-fi blockbuster The Matrix, enjoyed a career spanning more than three decades.

His talent agency, Sophie Jermyn Management, confirmed the tragic news, stating: “Vale Martin. We’re so saddened to hear of the passing of our beloved client. Martin was a bright spark who lit up every room he was in – a talented actor, a kind person and a wonderful soul. Our condolences and thoughts are with his family and loved ones in this difficult time. Gone far too soon xx.”

Grelis played a minor part in The Matrix alongside Hollywood A-listers Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. He also appeared in the 2014 mini-series Schapelle, All Saints, and Water Rats.

More recently, he took on the role of Christopher in miniseries Alpha King and in the short film The Trial. Devastated admirers have flocked to social media to honour Grelis’s memory.

One fan wrote online: “So saddened to hear this. Martin was the most lovely man. Sending condolences and love to all who knew him.”

Another added: “Sorry to hear this news. Sending love.” A third shared: “Such sad news. He was an amazing human being and actor. Sending love and support to his family and all who were lucky enough to know him.”

A fourth mourner also posted: “So saddened to hear this. Martin was the most lovely man. Sending condolences and love to all who knew him.”

Another heartbroken friend shared: “Absolutely devastating, my heart is torn. Martin was the kindest soul, helped me on my film handcrafting and donating his incredible surfboards, always ready to jump in and collaborate, have a laugh, I wondered why my message wasn’t returned yesterday, I’m in shock.

“My heartfelt condolences to his family, his beautiful son, his friends and agents. A true gentleman and creative, the world is harshly worse off without him.”

Martin began his career in 1999, taking on the role of Boba Fett in Star Wars fanfiction The Dark Redemption. He went on to a land small role in Australian drama Big Sky before playing a military helicopter pilot in The Matrix.

The 1999 sci-film stars Keanu Reeves as computer hacker Neo, who discovers that the human race is unknowingly living under the rule of intelligent machines in a simulated reality called The Matrix.

He is recruited by hackers Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) to fight back against the AI dictators.

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