BBC Pay Scandal Unveiled
BBC Salary Report Shows Scott Mills Topped Presenter Pay Before Dismissal
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Key Points
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Four women were featured in this year’s BBC top-earning list, up from three last year, highlighting ongoing gender representation among high-paid on-air staff.
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Sara Cox’s pay stood at nearly £325,000 for 2025-26, positioning her to potentially be the BBC’s highest-paid presenter next year after taking over the Radio 2 breakfast show.
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Gary Lineker’s pay fell to about £325,000–£329,999 for the year to March 2026 after leaving the BBC, down from his peak remuneration when he was the top earner.
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Several high-profile names remain off the published list because they are paid via production companies, meaning the official talent bill doesn’t capture those earnings.
Scott Mills was the BBC's highest-paid star in 2025-26, earning between £745,000 and £749,999, according to Manchester Evening News. That figure made him the corporation's top earner — before he was sacked in March following allegations of serious sexual offences. Prosecutors later dropped the case.
The BBC's annual report, which must list all staff paid over £178,000, shows the overall licence-fee talent bill rose to around £14.2 million — the highest in six years, Liverpool Echo reported. Mills' dismissal and record pay have reignited debate about accountability at the corporation.
Mills' Salary Jumped After Taking Radio 2 Breakfast Slot
Mills moved into the Radio 2 breakfast show in 2025. That high-profile role brought a major pay rise, pushing him past all other BBC staff on the published list. His £745,000–£749,999 package put him well above second-tier earners like Greg James and Stephen Nolan, according to Three FM.
Mills held the position for just over a year before his March sacking. Police investigated him over historic sexual offences allegations. The Crown Prosecution Service later decided not to charge him. The BBC has not commented further on the case.
Sara Cox Poised to Become Next Top Earner
Sara Cox stepped in to replace Mills on the Radio 2 breakfast show. Her current pay stands at nearly £325,000 for 2025-26, according to KMFM. That figure is set to rise sharply. If her salary reflects the breakfast show rate, she could become the BBC's highest-paid presenter in next year's report.
Cox's promotion also has significance beyond pay. Laura Kuenssberg is currently the highest-paid woman on the BBC's staff list. Cox could take that title too. Four women appear in this year's top earners list, up from three last year — a small but noted shift.
Lineker's Pay Falls Sharply After BBC Exit
Gary Lineker was once the BBC's top earner, pulling in far more than Mills. After leaving the corporation, his pay dropped to just £325,000–£329,999 for the year to March 2026, according to Yahoo News Canada. That figure covers only the months he remained on air before his departure.
Lineker's exit came after years of public rows with BBC leadership over his social media posts. His reduced pay figure marks a clean break. The BBC did not renew his contract for Match of the Day.
Many Top BBC Earners Still Hidden From Public View
The published list does not tell the whole story. Stars paid through independent production companies or BBC Studios do not appear on it at all, Liverpool Echo noted. That means some of the corporation's biggest names — and biggest salaries — stay off the books entirely.
Critics say this gap makes it impossible to judge the true talent bill. The BBC is required by its royal charter to publish individual salaries above £178,000. But the production company loophole lets many high earners avoid that disclosure. The total spend on talent is almost certainly higher than the £14.2 million figure suggests.
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