From Martin Lewis’ £128m fortune to Declan Donnelly’s £27m, the definitive telly rich list
THEY are hosts with the most – stars of the small screen with BIG fortunes.
Ant & Dec, and Holly Willoughby, are TV royalty but NOT the richest.
No1 is personal finance guru Martin Lewis, with £128million after selling website MoneySavingExpert.com.
No2 is ex-Weakest Link host, “Queen of Mean” Anne Robinson, now fronting Countdown. Daytime king Bradley Walsh is at £20million, as we told this week, thanks also to property deals.
We have TV’s rich list Top 25, and finance expert Gemma Godfrey gives her verdict on each.
1. £128m
WONGA wizard Martin, 49, launched website MoneySavingExpert.com – then sold it in 2012 for £87million. He now presents on ITV’s This Morning and last month had a guest slot hosting Good Morning Britain.
GEMMA SAYS: “Martin cornered a market and satisfied people’s need to be smarter with their money – and it paid off for him too.”
2. £32m
THE Queen of Mean, 76, presented BBC game show The Weakest Link in the UK and the US and has returned to our screens to front Channel 4’s Countdown. She has amassed her fortune during four decades in TV.
GEMMA SAYS: “Crafting a persona and aligning herself with well-known and well-loved TV franchises has driven her financial fortune.”
3. £27.5m
ONE half of Geordie duo Ant & Dec, he began on BBC teen drama Byker Grove with Ant, with whom he has since fronted I’m A Celeb, Saturday Night Takeaway and Britain’s Got Talent. Still only 45, he has also been a canny lad investing his TV riches.
GEMMA SAYS: “Great example of the power of building a loyal fanbase, by fronting much-loved shows.”
4=. £20m
BRADLEY’S company Wingit raked in £12.5million last year. He presents The Chase and had roles in Corrie and Doctor Who. Aged 61, he also runs a property development company which has further boosted his wealth to around £20million.
GEMMA SAYS: “Clever to invest some of his earnings into property to earn different revenue streams.”
4=. £20m
A TRICKY divorce in 2018 saw Ant, 45, hand over £31million to ex Lisa Armstrong. The same year he was fined £86,000 for drink-driving. But Ant is still a loadsamoney star.
GEMMA SAYS: “Given that Ant has built a similar career to Dec, his lower ranking shows just how much your personal life can affect your finances.”
6. £14.5m
AFTER a footballing career, Kammy joined Sky Sports as a pundit and has made an unbelievable amount of dosh. Chris, 63, presents Soccer Saturday and Goals on Sunday on Sky and hosted ITV’s Ninja Warrior.
GEMMA SAYS: “Chris hit the back of the net with his career moves on and off the pitch – from footballer to pundit and now presenter.”
7. £10.7m
LOVE Island host Laura began in 2008 as an MTV presenter. The Irish star, 36, has since commentated for Eurovision, contested Strictly Come Dancing, had deals with Nintendo and presents on Radio 5.
GEMMA SAYS: “Love Island has seen Laura’s finances rocket. She’s also cleverly made money from her brand with commercial deals.”
8. £10m
THIS Morning host Holly earns £730,000 a year after a rise in 2018 to match co-host Phillip Schofield. Holly, 40, has also had Dancing On Ice, Celebrity Juice and I’m A Celeb gigs, plus deals with make-up giant Garnier and Marks & Spencer.
GEMMA SAYS: “Fighting for pay equality has driven her finances, as has being a brand ambassador.”
9. £8.74m
THE Strictly host, 49, has also fronted Fame Academy, The House of Tiny Tearaways and The Great British Sewing Bee, is the face of Head & Shoulders and hosts on Radio 2.
GEMMA SAYS: “Brand and book deals have helped elevate her.”
10. £8m
HE began in the broom cupboard with Gordon the gopher on BBC kids’ TV and Phil, 59, has since hosted This Morning, Dancing On Ice and The Cube, plus done ads for We Buy Any Car and Waitrose Wines.
GEMMA SAYS: “Hosting This Morning has allowed him to branch out. He is now well recognised in tongue-in-cheek ads.”
11=. £7.3m
SUSANNA, 50, started her journalism career at the BBC before switching to ITV in 2014. While presenting BBC Breakfast with Bill Turnbull she was reportedly offered £1million to switch to Good Morning Britain. Her salary presenting GMB from Monday to Thursdays is now believed to be between £750,000 and £1million.
GEMMA SAYS: “Susanna’s knowledge, skills and experience has driven both her career and earning power in the TV world. Having the largest TV channels bid for you is a savvy move indeed.”
11=. £7.3m
AS the host of BBC1’s DIY SOS since 1999, he is rolling in it. In 2021 his £350,000-a-year job was in peril after he did a Shreddies ad but the BBC backtracked. Nick, 58, wrote 2016 film Golden Years starring Simon Callow and Una Stubbs.
GEMMA SAYS: “Has a loyal audience. Branching out into script-writing was an interesting move.”
13=. £6m
TESS, 52, has co-hosted Strictly since 2004, published two books and is the face of the Wellwoman supplements. Vernon, 47, has hosted All Star Family Fortunes and swim contest Splash! and now Formula E racing. Appeared on I’m A Celeb.
GEMMA SAYS: “From landing TV shows to brand deals, being in a power couple can pay off.”
13=. £6m
AFTER roles in films Willow, Harry Potter and TV series Life’s Too Short, in 2014 he turned to hosting gameshow Celebrity Squares. Warwick, 51, now presents quiz Tenable, while filming a series of Willow for Disney+.
GEMMA SAYS: “Made the leap from acting to presenting, which enabled him to build his fan base.”
15=. £5m
STARTING as a BBC journalist, Jeremy, 56, has fronted Eggheads, Points of View, Crimewatch and now has a show on Channel 5, as well as Radio 2. Has reportedly cashed in as after-dinner speaker.
GEMMA SAYS: “Moves from journalist to presenter, speaker and producer have used his skills in multiple ways to build his wealth.”
16. £4.6m
THE presenter began as a TV-am correspondent and grafted to get her own show on ITV. Lorraine, 61, has appeared on Daybreak and RuPaul’s Drag Race, and presents a podcast with daughter Rosie.
GEMMA SAYS: “Queen of morning TV, on our screens daily, she has built a reputation as a trusted personality.”
17. £4.35m
THE former X Factor contestant has presented Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, The Xtra Factor, This Morning, Supermarket Sweep and Ready Steady Cook. Rylan, 32, is now taking a break after the breakdown of his marriage to Dan Neal.
GEMMA SAYS: “Struck while iron was hot, leveraging X Factor fame to land presenting work.”
18. £4.1m
THE husband-and-wife team, both 61, hosted This Morning’s Friday slot. Loose Women star Ruth has been a Tesco ambassador, Eamonn put out an autobiography in 2006 and they are on Celebrity Gogglebox together.
GEMMA SAYS: “Their relationship has translated to loyal viewers, and other ventures have paid off too.”
19. £3.6m
HE and wife Judy Finnigan hosted This Morning on ITV and later Richard and Judy on Channel 4. I’m A Celeb star Richard, 65, has written two autobiographies and three novels, and guest-hosts for GMB.
GEMMA SAYS: “Part of a married team, he emphasises the power of couples. Writing three novels is also no mean feat.”
20. £2.83m
AFTER a long stint on Big Brother, Davina, 53, hosts Long Lost Family, is on The Masked Singer judging panel and built a fitness empire, releasing DVDs and now app Own Your Goals.
GEMMA SAYS: “Successfully turned her fitness journey into a money- maker, and building her own app was smart. It gives her earning options in the future, alongside her TV work.”
21. £2.7m
THE 48-year-old has become a fixture on our screens hosting numerous shows including The X Factor and National Television Awards. As well as being a Radio 2 DJ, he has written kids’ books.
GEMMA SAYS: “Dermot again proves the power of children’s books as a money-maker, to complement his day job.”
22. £2.18m
HOSTING ITV’s The Masked Singer has catapulted comedian Joel, 36, into the big league. He also took part in I’m A Celeb in 2016, released a book – It’s Not Me, It’s Them – but has postponed a comedy tour.
GEMMA SAYS: “Audiences love to laugh and Joel has turned his skill as a comedian into a money-maker in various TV formats.”
23. £2m
MADE his fortune selling antiques before becoming a household name on Bargain Hunt. David, 79, also landed his own chat show in 2010, but it was short-lived.
GEMMA SAYS: “It may surprise some to see David ranked above Maya, but it shows longevity and dedication to audiences over the decades really does pay off.”
24. £1.5m
GORGEOUS Maya, 26, is becoming a must-have presenter – she’s currently on BBC1’s Crouchy’s Year-Late Euros. She’s also landed deals with JD Sports, PrettyLittleThing and Kurt Geiger.
GEMMA SAYS: “Brand deals are a savvy move and help monetise her fanbase who watch her shows and then buy clothes she advertises.”
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25. £1m
AFTER starring in Big Brother in 2002, Alison, 46, has become a daytime telly regular – before bagging This Morning’s Friday slot alongside Dermot O’Leary.
GEMMA SAYS: “Alison’s good-humoured celebrity interviews secured her move from reality TV to a lucrative high-profile role on one of the UK’s favourite TV shows.”