Gary Lineker’s full BBC salary has been publicly disclosed despite his recent departure from the broadcaster after 26 years
Former pundit Gary Lineker’s eye-watering BBC salary has been unveiled – despite him quitting his epic TV role over pro-Palestine tensions amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
A BBC salary report of the highest-paid presenters has been released today, and for the second year in a row, Lineker, 64, is at the top of the poll, despite quitting his renowned position on Match of The Day just over two months ago.
The report shows that Lineker is still one of the BBC’s biggest assets as he has received the highest salary for the eighth year in a row, raking in a whopping £1.35 million. Gary is closely followed by Radio 2 breakfast star Zoe Ball who was second on the list with a salary of £519,999 – which went drastically down from £950,000 the year before.
Match of The Day pundit and Newcastle hero Alan Shearer is next on the list, raking in a whopping £445,000 this year which is up from his £380,000 annual BBC salary in 2024. BBC radio presenter Greg James has also received a pay-rise this year as he’s now the fourth highest paid presenter with an annual salary of £429,999, which has spiked up £20,000 since last year.
Fiona Bruce falls shortly behind Greg James as she comes in at the fifth highest-paid BBC star with a salary of 414,999. Fiona’s salary has shot up £10,000 since last year.
The figures show that while both Zoe Ball and Gary Lineker are the highest-paid BBC stars, they are also the only ones not to receive a pay rise this year as Lineker’s salary has stayed the same while Ball’s has dwindled by £400,000 after her departure from BBC Radio 1.
However, it was Lineker’s early departure which truly rocked the broadcaster to its core. Back in May, it was announced that former England footballer and Match of the Day presenter Lineker was expected to leave the BBC by mutual agreement, amid escalating criticism surrounding his recent social media activity.
The fallout began in early May after Lineker, shared a pro-Palestinian video on Instagram that included a rat emoji which is a symbol historically used in Nazi propaganda to dehumanize Jewish people. The post drew widespread condemnation and was quickly deleted. Lineker issued an apology, but the controversy continued to intensify in the weeks following.
Pressure on the broadcaster increased even more after The Telegraph published a revealing interview in which Lineker expanded on his criticism of Israel’s actions and appeared to take aim at senior figures within the BBC.
The Match of the Day star, who is the highest-paid presenter at the BBC apologised for sharing a video an anti-Zionism video. The post featured a picture of a rat, which has historically been used as an antisemitic insult, referring to language used in Nazi Germany to characterise Jews.
Gary immediately deleted the post after realising the significance of the symbol, according to his agent. Last Tuesday afternoon, he also issued a statement in which he “apologised unreservedly” for his “mistake”.
“On Instagram I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references,” he said in a statement. “I very much regret these references. “I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in.”
The Match of the Day presenter said he deleted the post “as soon as I became aware of the issue. Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters,” Lineker continued.
“I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views. It was an error on my part for which I apologise unreservedly,” he concluded.
Lineker has previously defended his pro-Palestine views. He said: “It’s beyond depraved, what they’re [the Palestinian people] are going through, unimaginable.
“I don’t know how the world thinks this is OK. We still seem to be on the side of the people who are doing this. We’re still supplying arms. And you think, ‘Wow, how?’ The vast majority of people see it for what it is now. Palestinians are caged in this outdoor prison in Gaza, and now it’s an outdoor prison that they’re bombing. Israel say it’s self-defence, but really? Self-defence against what now?
“Yes, I understand that they needed to avenge, but I don’t think they’ve helped their own hostage situation at all. People say it’s a complex issue, but I don’t think it is. It’s inevitable that the Israeli occupation was going to cause massive problems, and I just feel for the Palestinians.
“I don’t really care about the backlash. I care about doing the right thing, or what I think is the right thing. Some people can disagree, that’s fine. But I have to look at myself in the mirror. I think if you’re silent on these issues, you’re almost complicit.”
Source: Mirror
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