BBC reveals highest-paid stars - including former newsreader Huw Edwards despite being off-air

Huw Edwards is one of the top earners at the BBC for the past year, even though he was suspended in July 2023 due to accusations of improper behavior.

The TV presenter, who left his job this year, received a salary of £475,000 to £479,999 in the financial year 2023-24. This made him the third-highest-paid host at the broadcasting company.

The BBC's latest annual report has revealed the salaries of its on-air talent, at a time when the organization is dealing with another crisis related to its popular show Strictly Come Dancing.

After being questioned about Edwards' salary during a press conference, Tim Davie, the leader of the broadcasting company, stated that Edwards did not receive any extra money as part of an agreement but assured that the BBC had acted in a fair and appropriate manner regarding compensation.

"We always strive to be careful with how we use public funds and nobody wants to throw money away," Mr Davie stated. The BBC needs to be fair and reasonable in its actions, and handle the situation correctly.

"I believe that was the course of action we took... we wouldn't have spent money if we weren't on the correct path."

Edwards experienced severe mental health problems and was hospitalized for treatment following the accusations.

The report states that he signed a contract to appear on BBC One for 160 days and participate in news coverage and election specials.

The 62-year-old stepped down in April of this year, nine months after leaving his broadcasting job following allegations that he gave a teenager a large sum of money for inappropriate pictures.

However, his salary for the 2023-24 season increased compared to the previous season, where he was earning between £435,000 and £439,999.

Footballer Gary Lineker remains the highest paid broadcaster for the network, earning approximately £1.35m for his appearances on Match Of The Day and Sports Personality Of The Year for the third consecutive year. Following closely behind is Zoe Ball, the host of Radio 2's breakfast show, earning between £950,000 and £954,999, a slight decrease from last year's earnings of between £980,000 and £984,999.

The list of the highest earners includes six men and four women, which is consistent with last year's rankings. Football commentator Alan Shearer, news presenter Fiona Bruce, and radio personalities Lauren Laverne, Greg James, and Stephen Nolan are once again among the top 10 earners.

News hosts Naga Munchetty and Nick Robinson are among the top 10 earners this year. Newsreader Sophie Raworth falls just below, making between £325,000 and £329,999. Radio personality Ken Bruce, who tied for eighth place with Laverne last year, left his show in early 2023.

Additional individuals just beyond the top 10 ranking include broadcaster Mishal Husain, political reporter Laura Kuenssberg, and beloved Radio 2 personalities Sara Cox and Scott Mills.

There are some important people missing from the list because the BBC doesn't have to tell everyone how much money they pay to stars who work for BBC Studios or other production companies. This includes popular celebrities like Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly from Strictly Come Dancing, Michael McIntyre, Lord Sugar, Bradley Walsh, Alex Jones, and the big stars from shows like EastEnders.

The response from the BBC chair reveals insight into the controversy surrounding Strictly.

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There are many important topics to discuss in the BBC's yearly report.

The BBC is facing a serious threat to its existence, with around 500,000 people not paying the license fee and more job cuts on the horizon for an organization that is already operating with minimal excess resources.

However, everyone seems to be fixated on Huw Edwards' salary and Strictly Come Dancing. It's no surprise why though.

The former news anchor continues to be the third highest paid employee at the company, even though they are no longer working. Adding insult to injury, they were given a £40,000 raise. This is hard for current employees to accept, especially with the news of more job cuts coming soon.

Regarding Strictly, everyone was focused on Tim Davie and how he would address the scandalous bullying accusations in the news. However, what received less attention but was significant, was BBC chair Samir Shah's strong show of support.

He is backing the Director-General of the BBC because he believes that the organization is taking appropriate actions in response to the contestant claims. He wants to make sure that the management is being held responsible for their decisions.

Lineker was the highest earner in 2017-2018, choosing to reduce his pay by £10,000 in 2020 as the broadcaster sought to achieve more equality in salaries. He remains the only individual earning over £1 million.

The yearly report also shows how much the bosses are getting paid, with Mr. Davie earning a salary between £525,000 and £529,999, which is the same as last year.

Explore more articles from Sky News: Strictly celebrity carefully considered making a complaint. Strictly judge speaks out about accusations of abuse.

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The BBC reported that nearly all adults in the UK use its services each month, with their findings showing a "year of innovative achievements and change".

It was reported that there was a 2% decrease in the amount of TV licenses compared to the previous year, but most people still agreed with the £169.50 fee.

The yearly report is released at a time when Strictly Come Dancing, their main show, is facing more attention and criticism for how they treat the contestants.

The 250-plus page document does not talk about the accusations, but it does mention Strictly's achievements and includes some photos from the show.