Horwich-born Vernon Kay, Bolton-born Clive Myrie and Little Lever’s Sara Cox all feature in the top 20 of the list of BBC stars who earned more than £178,000 during the financial year ending March 31, 2026.
Vernon Kay (Image: BBC)
Vernon Kay is the highest-paid of the trio, ranking joint fourth on the list with earnings of £405,000 to £409,999.
His salary increased from £390,000 to £394,999 the previous year.
The former Radio 1 presenter now hosts the mid-morning programme on BBC Radio 2 after taking over the slot previously held by Ken Bruce.
Clive Myrie
News presenter and Mastermind host Clive Myrie is listed in the £320,000 to £324,999 pay band, placing him joint 17th.
His earnings were down slightly from £335,000 to £339,999 in 2024/25.
Sara Cox, who grew up in Little Lever, also appears in the £320,000 to £324,999 pay band alongside Myrie.
The Radio 2 Drivetime presenter received a pay rise from £310,000 to £314,999 in the previous year.
Sara Cox (Image: Ian West/PA Wire)
The BBC publishes the salaries of presenters earning more than £178,000 each year as part of its annual report.
The figures cover staff paid directly by the corporation and do not include presenters employed through BBC Studios or independent production companies.
Former Radio 2 Breakfast Show presenter Scott Mills topped this year’s list with earnings of £745,000 to £749,999, followed by Radio 1’s Greg James and BBC Radio Ulster presenter Stephen Nolan.
Other familiar names in the top 20 include Laura Kuenssberg, Alan Shearer, Naga Munchetty, Fiona Bruce, Gary Lineker and Sophie Raworth.
Speaking ahead of the annual report’s release, deputy director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said he felt there had been “remarkable progress” on salaries, claiming that talent above the £500,000 threshold had been reduced by 50% across the past seven years.
He said: “If you look at all our on-air presenter costs over the last seven years, they’ve come down by about £20 million pounds, so we have been focused on it, there is always a balancing act.
“We want to be a broadcaster that can attract the best talent, but we’re also very mindful of the financial pressures that we’re facing.
“But I think we’re striking that balance very, very carefully, and I think you’ll see that downward trend continuing in the months to come.”
The full list:
Here is a full list of BBC on-air pay above £178,000 for 2025/26, as published in the corporation’s annual report.
The list is ranked by pay band, starting with the highest.
The equivalent pay band for 2024/25 is shown in brackets, with a description of the year-on-year change.
The list does not include people who are paid through independent production companies or the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Studios.
1 Scott Mills £745,000-£749,999 (up from £355,000-£359,999)
2 Greg James £440,000-£444,999 (up from £425,000-£429,999)
3 Stephen Nolan £425,000-£429,999 (up from £405,000-£409,999)
4= Vernon Kay £405,000-£409,999 (up from £390,000-£394,999)
4= Laura Kuenssberg £405,000-£409,999 (up from £395,000-£399,999)
6 Alan Shearer £390,000-£394,999 (down from £440,000-£444,999)
7 Justin Webb £375,000-£379,999 (up from £365,000-£369,999)
8 Naga Munchetty £360,000-£364,999 (up from £355,000-£359,999)
9 Fiona Bruce £345,000-£349,999 (down from £410,000-£414,999)
10 Sophie Raworth £340,000-£344,999 (down from £350,000-£354,999)
11= Mark Chapman £335,000-£339,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)
11= Nick Grimshaw £335,000-£339,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
13= Trevor Nelson £330,000-£334,999 (up from £245,000-£249,999)
13= Nick Robinson £330,000-£334,999 (down from £410,000-£414,999)
15= Reeta Chakrabarti £325,000-£329,999 (up from £300,000-£304,999)
15= Gary Lineker £325,000-£329,999 (down from £1,350,000-£1,354,999)
17= Sara Cox £320,000-£324,999 (up from £310,000-£314,999)
17= Clive Myrie £320,000-£324,999 (down from £335,000-£339,999)
17= Amol Rajan £320,000-£324,999 (up from £315,000-£319,999)
20 Anna Foster £315,000-£319,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
21= Emma Barnett £305,000-£309,999 (up from £285,000-£289,999)
21= Evan Davis £305,000-£309,999 (up from £300,000-£304,999)
23= Ros Atkins £300,000-£304,999 (up from £295,000-£299,999)
23= Tina Daheley £300,000-£304,999 (up from £295,000-£299,999)
25 Nicky Campbell £295,000-£299,999 (down from £300,000-£304,999)
26= Gabby Logan £290,000-£294,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
26= Jason Mohammad £290,000-£294,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999)
28 Chris Mason £275,000-£279,999 (up from £270,000-£274,999)
29= Victoria Derbyshire £270,000-£274,999 (down from £275,000-£279,999)
29= Jeremy Bowen £270,000-£274,999 (up from £260,000-£264,999)
29= Simon Jack £270,000-£274,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)
32 Jeremy Vine £265,000-£269,999 (down from £310,000-£314,999)
33 Sarah Montague £255,000-£259,999 (up from £250,000-£254,999)
34 Jo Whiley £250,000-£254,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999)
35= Katya Adler £245,000-£249,999 (up from £240,000 -£244,999)
35= Sarah Smith £245,000-£249,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999)
37 Fergal Keane £240,000-£244,999 (up from £235,000-£239,999)
38= Faisal Islam £235,000-£239,999 (no change)
38= Lauren Laverne £235,000-£239,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
40= Matt Chorley £230,000-£234,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
40= Lyse Doucet £230,000-£234,999 (up from £205,000-£209,999)
40= Rick Edwards £230,000-£234,999 (down from £235,000-£239,999)
43= Jon Kay £225,000-£229,999 (down from £240,000-£244,999)
43= Johnathan Joseph £225,000-£229,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
45 Orla Guerin £220,000-£224,999 (up from £210,000-£214,999)
46= Rachel Burden £215,000-£219,999 (down from £220,000-£224,999)
46= Kelly Cates £215,000-£219,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
46= Katie Razzall £215,000-£219,999 (down from £220,000-£224,999)
49= Matthew Amroliwala £210,000-£214,999 (up from £200,000-£204,999
49= Ben Brown £210,000-£214,999 (up from £200,000-£204,999)
49= Paddy O’Connell £210,000-£214,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
49= Jonny Dymond £210,000-£214,999 (up from £205,000-£209,999)
53= Owain Wyn Evans £205,000-£209,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)
53= Lucy Hockings £205,000-£209,999 (up from £200,000-£204,999)
53= Caitriona Perry £205,000-£209,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)
53= John Simpson £205,000-£209,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)
53= Sumi Somaskanda £205,000-£209,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)
58= Maryam Moshiri £200,000-£204,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)
58= Sally Nugent £200,000-£204,999 (no change)
60= Sally Bundock £195,000-£199,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)
60= Christian Fraser £195,000-£199,999 (down from £205,000-£209,999)
60= Jane Hill £195,000-£199,999 (down from £200,000-£204,999)
60= Annita McVeigh £195,000-£199,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)
60= Alex Scott £195,000-£199,999 (down from £205,000-£209,999)
65= Craig Charles £190,000-£194,999 (no change)
65= Steve Rosenberg £190,000-£194,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
65= Charlie Stayt £190,000-£194,999 (no change)
68= Adrian Chiles £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
68= Michael Vaughan £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2024/25)
70 Steven Lai £178,000-£184,999 (no change)
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