Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis makes barbed dig at BBC at tech awards dinner as it’s claimed she’s on the verge of quitting over pay snub
EMILY Maitlis made a jibe at the BBC during an event last night as a row over gender pay erupted, telling an audience member: “You’re doing so well, soon you’ll be able to afford a BBC man.”
The Newsnight journalist and presenter is one of the broadcaster's stars thought to now be considering an exit as the disparity in the annual pay of those for doing similar jobs was laid bare.
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker was revealed as earning up to £1.8million — more than fellow sports presenters Sue Barker, Gabby Logan and Clare Balding combined.
The former England captain, 56, was yesterday accused of trivialising the issue as he tweeted: “This whole BBC salary exposure business is an absolute outrage... I mean how can Chris Evans be on more than me?”
Evans, 51, was the highest-paid star on the list, taking home up to £2.25million for his Radio 2 show and stint on Top Gear.
Graham Norton, 54, was the third best-paid, earning up to £899,000. But that does not include wages for his Friday night chat show, which are paid through his own production company.
Journalist Maitlis, 46, was said to be furious at discovering co-host Evan Davis, 55, gets up to £299,999 a year.
She did not appear on the list of 96 BBC stars earning more than £150,000 — meaning she gets less.
It has emerged she is currently off air as her contract has come to end and she has not signed a new deal.
Last night she joked to guests at a tech industry dinner: “You’re doing so well, soon you’ll be able to afford a BBC man.”
The Sun understands bosses tried to offer Maitlis and other staff — including Radio 4’s Sarah Montague — substantial pay rises.
A source said: “They made her an offer and she did not accept it. As it stands, her future hangs in the balance.
“Emily is totally furious as she feels like she has been lied to. For her not to be on the list is unbelievable.”
A BBC insider said Montague was given a “massive” pay rise on Friday, with some speculating the new deal represented a 50 per cent increase.
Another said Maitlis had presented significantly fewer shows than co-host Davis, who also fronts Dragons’ Den.
They added: “If she had presented the same number, she would have been on the list.”
A spokesman said Maitlis had been “off rota” while contract negotiations took place.
The BBC’s top-paid newsreaders — News at Six presenters George Alagiah and Sophie Raworth and News at Ten stalwart Huw Edwards — were all given last night off.
They earn up to £299,999, £199,000 and £599,999 respectively. Both bulletins were fronted by Clive Myrie, who is paid less than £150,000.
The BBC’s Annual Report showed just two of the top 14 earners are female — Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman and The One Show’s Alex Jones, who get up to £499,999 and £449,000 respectively.
CASUALTY DEL BESTS ENDERS
A BEEB source said EastEnders stars were “stunned” to learn Casualty’s Derek Thompson is the Corporation’s best paid actor.
The 69-year-old gets up to £399,999 playing nurse Charlie Fairhead.
Colleague Amanda Mealing, 49 — the medical drama’s Connie Beauchamp — is No2 on the list, raking in up to £299,999.
Albert Square’s top earners are Danny Dyer, 39, and Adam Woodyatt, 49, who are both in the £200,000 to £249,999 bracket.
The source said: “Danny and others on EastEnders will be fuming.”
There was a backlash from other female Beeb stars yesterday on Twitter, which prompted use of the hashtag #notonthelist.
Women’s Hour presenter Jane Garvey said she was “incandescent” with rage and threatened to join with colleagues in taking action.
She told The Times: “If the BBC thinks we’re not talking to each other, we are.”
BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker, 40, defended his salary of up to £249,999, while co-host Louise Minchin, 48, did not break the £150,000 mark. He insisted he earns more due to his Football Focus job.
HALF MILL FOR STEPHEN WHO?
MANY licence fee payers were confused to see the bumper pay packet of BBC Ulster’s Stephen Nolan — who earns more than better-known Today programme hosts.
The shock jock, 43, makes up to £450,000 a year, compared with the £300,000 earned by household name journalist Nick Robinson.
The DJ works seven days a week including fronting Radio Ulster’s The Nolan Show Monday to Friday, a BBC 5 Live slot three times a week and Question Time: Extra Time on Thursdays.
He has won 12 Sony Radio Academy Awards, including a record seven golds.
Alan Yentob still gets up to £249,999 for hosting BBC2 arts programme Imagine. He quit as BBC creative director in 2015 amid allegations he tried to influence coverage of a charity funding scandal.
Radio 4’s Eddie Mair grilled BBC boss James Purnell yesterday, asking: “Why do on-air people get paid more if they have a penis?”
Purnell said it was “to do with the historic pattern of how broadcasting has worked”, adding: “We’ve got further to go.”
Director General Tony Hall said he believes “very, very strongly” in addressing the gender pay divide.
Pair waltz off with more cash
By BENJY POTTER
THE judges on Strictly Come Dancing are split — with half earning at least £50,000 less than the others, it emerged.
Outgoing head judge Len Goodman, 73, and Bruno Tonioli, 61, get up to £249,999.
But Darcey Bussell, 48, and Craig Revel Horwood, 52, make £150,000 to £199,999.
Claudia Winkleman, 45, earns between £450,000 and £499,000 — more than co-host Tess Daly, 48, who gets £350,000 to £399,999.
Sources say Tess earns more for the show, as Claudia’s salary includes her Radio 2 show, Film and The Great British Sewing Bee.
LIST IS ‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’
INSIDERS say the pay list is the “tip of the iceberg” as some salaries are undisclosed.
BBC shows such as Sherlock and Question Time are made by independent producers so actor Benedict Cumberbatch, 41, and host David Dimbleby, 78, are not included.
Its commercial arm BBC Worldwide, which makes Top Gear, has not published pay levels so Matt Le Blanc, 49, is missing.
Great British Bake Off’s Mary Berry, 82, is another absentee as she is paid via her company.
John O’Connell, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “We’re still not seeing the full picture.”
Bizarre job titles with big salaries
THE BBC yesterday revealed the names of highly paid executives with bonkers job titles as part of its pay disclosures.
Roles including Identity Architect and Integration Lead were among the baffling titles earning six-figure pay deals.
Similar titles were lampooned in W1A, the hit TV comedy about the BBC starring Hugh Bonneville as the Beeb’s ‘Head of Values’.
A Freedom of Information request last year revealed there were about 4,500 “unique job titles” at the Beeb.
Yesterday’s annual report disclosed the names of executives on more than £150,000.
They included Analytics architect Patrick Foody and Service Architect Terence Reeves, who were shown to be on up to £199,999.
The BBC has become famous over the years for its love of jargon and strange job titles.
Other titles in recent years have included Programmatic Solutions Executive and Thematic Research Manager.
So who earns what? The full lists revealed
BBC's top 12 earners
- Chris Evans: £2.25million
- Gary Lineker: £1.8million
- Graham Norton: £899,000
- Jeremy Vine: £750,000
- John Humphrys: £640,000
- Huw Edwards: £600,000
- Steve Wright: £550,000
- Matt Baker: £500,000
- Claudia Winkleman: £499,000
- Alan Shearer: £450,000
- Nicky Campbell: £450,000
- Alex Jones: £450,000
TV non scripted (factual and entertainment)
- £400,000 – £449,999 Alex Jones – Presenter
- £350,000 – £399,999 Tess Daly – Presenter
- £300,000 – £349,999 Nick Knowles – Presenter
- £200,000 – £249,999 Gary Barlow – Contributor, Len Goodman – Contributor, Danii Minogue – Contributor, Bruno Tonioli – Contributor, Alan Yentob – Presenter
- £150,000 – £199,999 Darcey Bussell – Contributor, Mel Giedroyc – Presenter, Craig Horwood – Contributor, Paul Martin – Presenter, Simon Schama – Presenter
News and current affairs
- £300,000 – £349,999 Eddie Mair – Presenter
- £250,000 – £299,999 George Alagiah – Presenter, Nicholas Robinson – Presenter
- £200,000 – £249,999 Victoria Derbyshire – Presenter, Mishal Husain – Presenter, Martha Kearney – Presenter, Laura Kuenssberg – Correspondent, Andrew Neil – Presenter, Jonathan Sopel – Correspondent
- £150,000 – £199,999 Kamal Ahmed – Correspondent, Jeremy Bowen – Correspondent, Ben Brown – Presenter, Mark Easton – Correspondent, Gavin Esler – Presenter, James Naughtie – Correspondent, John Pienaar – Correspondent, Sophie Raworth – Presenter, John Simpson – Correspondent, Kirsty Wark – Presenter, Justin Webb – Presenter
TV scripted (drama and comedy)
- £350,000 – £399,999 Derek Thompson – Actor
- £250,000 – £299,999 Amanda Mealing – Actor
- £200,000 – £249,999 Peter Capaldi – Actor, Danny Dyer – Actor, Emilia Fox – Actor, David Jason – Actor, Rosie Marcel – Actor, Adam Woodyatt – Actor
- £150,000 – £199,999 Laurie Brett – Actor, Letitia Dean – Actor, Tameka Empson – Actor, Guy Henry – Actor, Linda Henry – Actor, Scott Maslen – Actor, Diane Parish – Actor, Hugh Quarshie – Actor, Jemma Redgrave – Actor, Tim Roth – Actor, Catherine Shipton – Actor, Gillian Taylforth – Actor, Lacey Turner – Actor
Sport
- £1,750,000 – £1,799,999 Gary Lineker – Presenter
- £400,000 – £449,999 Alan Shearer – Presenter
- 300,000 – £349,999 Sue Barker – Presenter
- £250,000 -£299,999 Jason Mohammad – Presenter
- £200,000 – £249,999 John Inverdale – Presenter, Gabby Logan – Presenter
- £150,000 – £199,999 Jonathan Agnew – Presenter and commentator, Clare Balding – Presenter, Jonathan Davies – Presenter, John McEnroe – Presenter and commentator
Multi genre
- £2,200,000 – £2,249,999 Chris Evans – Presenter
- £850,000 – £899,999 Graham Norton – Presenter
- £700,000 – £749,999 Jeremy Vine – Presenter
- £600,000 – £649,000 John Humphrys – Presenter
- £550,000 – £599,999 Huw Edwards
- £450,000 – £499,999 Matt Baker – Presenter Claudia Winkleman – Presenter
- £400,000 – £449,000 Andrew Marr – Presenter Stephen Nolan – Presenter
- £350,000 – £399,999 Fiona Bruce – Presenter
- £250,000 – £299,999 Zoe Ball – Presenter Brian Cox – Presenter Evan Davis – Presenter
- £200,000 – £249,999 Mark Chapman – Presenter Jools Holland – Presenter Dan Walker – Presenter
- £150,000 – £199,999 Naga Munchetty – Presenter and Contributor
Radio
- £500,000 – £549,999 Steve Wright – Presenter
- £400,000 – £449,999 Nicky Campbell – Presenter
- £350,000 – £399,999 Vanessa Feltz – Presenter, Nicholas Grimshaw – Presenter, Simon Mayo – Presenter
- £300,000 – £349,999 Lauren Laverne – Presenter