The BBC paid five on-air presenters between £40k and £70k in pay rises in 2023/24, according to the corporation’s annual report.
Overall, 37 BBC presenters who earned over £178,000 received a rise ranging between £5k to £70k.
Across all 37 on-air presenters who received an increase, the BBC paid out a total of £812,000.
The five presenters who earned the highest wage increases were Nick Robinson, Huw Edwards, Justin Webb, Reeta Chakrabarti and Jon Kay.
Jon Kay, a host on BBC Breakfast, also saw a salary increase of £40,000
Getty
Former BBC news presenter Huw Edwards, who resigned from the BBC last April, saw his salary increase by £40,000.
Edward was suspended in July 2023 over allegations in The Sun newspaper of paying a young person for sexually explicit photos.
Nevertheless, he received between £435,000 and £439,999 in the year 2022/ 2023, which rose to £475,000 – £479,999 between April 2023 and April 2024.
On the salary increase, BBC director-general Tim Davie defended the decision: “We’ve said that before, no settlement payment. I think that’s inappropriate with an individual case like this.
“Look, we are always trying to be very judicious with the spending of public money and no one wants to waste a pound. But what you’re trying to do, and from the onset of that affair, was trying to act proportionally, fairly and navigate this appropriately.”
Nick Robinson received the highest pay rise in the 2023/24 year with a salary increase of £70,000.
The presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme received between £275,000-£279,999 in 2022/23 which rose to £345,000-£349,999 the following year.
Justin Webb also saw a wage increase of £40,000 leaving the presenter with a £320,000-£324,999 salary.
Meanwhile, Reeta Chakrabarti saw an increase of £55,000 raising her pay to £270,000-£274,999 in 2023/24.
Jon Kay, a host on BBC Breakfast, also saw a salary increase of £40,000, increasing his wage from between £185,000-£189,999 last year to £225,000-£229,999.
Nick Robinson received the highest pay rise of £70k last year
PA
It comes as the BBC is set to cut 500 jobs as it attempts to save £200 million to drive the “transformation” of the corporation.
The BBC are already attempting to save £500 million as part of a plan announced two years ago.
GB News presenter Eamonn Holmes explained how the list revealed by the BBC was just the base rate of what these presenters receive in pay.
The presenter discussed the salaries on air explaining how Fiona Bruce basic salary will be for her work on BBC News, but BBC commercial will pay for her appearances on Antiques Roadshow and Question time – for which her salary won’t be declared.
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Listed below is the full list of BBC on-air presenters who received a pay rise in 2023/24:
1. Huw Edwards £475,000-£479,999 (up from £435,000-£439,999) (+40,000)
2. Greg James £415,000-£419,999 (up from £395,000-£399,999) (+20,000)
3. Fiona Bruce £405,000-£409,999 (up from £395,000-£399,999) (+10,000)
4. Stephen Nolan £405,000-£409,999 (up from £400,000-£404,999) (+5,000)
5. Lauren Laverne £395,000-£399,999 (up from £390,000-£394,999) (+5,000)
6. Naga Munchetty £345,000-£349,999 (up from £335,000-£339,999) (+10,000)
7. Nick Robinson £345,000-£349,999 (up from £275,000-£279,999) (+70,000)
8. Mishal Husain £340,000-£344,999 (up from £315,000-£319,999) (+25,000)
9. Laura Kuenssberg £325,000-£329,999 (up from £305,000-£309,999) (+ 20,000)
10. Justin Webb £320,000-£324,999 (up from £280,000-£284,999) (+40,000)
11. Sara Cox £315,000-£319,999 (up from £285,000-£289,999) (+30,000)
12. Scott Mills £315,000-£319,999 (up from £300,000-£304,999) (+ 15,000)
13. Clive Myrie £310,000-£314,999 (up from £285,000-£289,999) (+25,000)
14. Ros Atkins £290,000-£294,999 (up from £260,000-£264,999) (+ 30,000)
15. Evan Davis £290,000-£294,999 (up from £280,000-£284,999) (+ 10,000)
16. Reeta Chakrabarti £270,000-£274,999 (up from £215,000-£219,999) (+ 55,000)
17. Tina Daheley £270,000-£274,999 (up from £240,000-£244,999) (+ 30,000)
18. Faisal Islam £260,000-£264,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999) (+ 30,000)
19. Chris Mason £260,000-£264,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999) (+ 35,000)
20. Jo Whiley £245,000-£249,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999) (+ 15,000)
21. Jeremy Bowen £240,000-£244,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999) (+ 10,000)
22. Simon Jack £240,000-£244,999 (up from £210,000-£214,999) (+ 30,000)
23. Katya Adler £230,000-£234,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999) (+ 5,000)
24. Jon Kay £225,000-£229,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999) (+ 40,000)
25. Fergal Keane £225,000-£229,999 (up from £215,000-£219,999) (+ 10,000)
26. Sarah Smith £225,000-£229,999 (up from £220,000-£224,999) (+ 5,000)
27. Rachel Burden £220,000-£224,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999) (+ 25,000)
28. Alex Scott £220,000-£224,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999) (+ 35,000)
29. Rick Edwards £215,000-£219,999 (up from £178,000-£184,999) (+ 37,000)
30. Mark Easton £205,000-£209,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999) (+ 10,000)
31. Stephen Sackur £200,000-£204,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999) (+ 10,000)
32 Matthew Amroliwala £195,000-£199,999 (up from £178,000-£184,999) (+ 17,000)
33. Orla Guerin £195,000-£199,999 (up from £178,000-£184,999) (+ 17,000)
34. Sally Nugent £195,000-£199,999 (up from £178,000-£184,999) (+ 17,000)
35. Jonathan Agnew £190,000-£194,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999) (+ 5,000)
36. John Simpson £190,000-£194,999 (up from £178,000-£184,999) (+ 12,000)
37. Craig Charles £185,000-£189,999 (up from £178,000-£184,999) (+ 7,000)