Gary Lineker’s sudden BBC departure will shake up the company’s wealthy checklist – and save the licence-fee payer approaching £1million in 2026, MailOnline can reveal right this moment.
The 64-year-old footballer turned broadcaster hosts his ultimate Match of the Day tonight after being axed for sharing an anti-Semitic Instagram submit.
Lineker had been anticipated to entrance protection of the FA Cup and 2026 World Cup however will now step down from the BBC on Sunday.
He’ll go away with no pay-off from his £1.4million-a-year wage, which made him the company’s high earner.
One BBC insider instructed MailOnline that they consider shifting on Lineker early will save the company between £800,000 and £900,000 over the subsequent 12 months.
‘With Huw gone and Gary on his manner the wealthy checklist subsequent 12 months goes to look completely different – and the general invoice for our stars can be cheaper’, the added.
Lineker goes to focus on his podcast enterprise Goalhanger – makers of The Relaxation is Historical past, The Relaxation is Politics and his Relaxation is Soccer present with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.
And he will not go hungry with out his BBC wage as a result of his podcast empire, based in 2019, recorded a staggering £1.4million revenue final 12 months, accounts revealed in February revealed.
Belongings jumped during the last 12 months with accounts filed at Firms Home exhibiting its retained earnings rose from £590,000 in 2023 to £2.03million final 12 months, a £1.4m rise. Money within the financial institution additionally rose from £560,000 to £2.7million.
Lineker is one among three large names on the high of the BBC’s wealthy checklist final 12 months to exit.
Zoe Ball – who was second on the newest checklist with a pay packet of £954,999 – stepped down as host of the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Present final 12 months.
And BBC bosses will save a whole bunch of 1000’s of kilos by swapping her for incoming substitute Scott Mills who can be paid considerably much less.
Whereas Ball, 53, will keep on the channel, her determination to go away it is most distinguished presenting slot to ‘spend extra time together with her household’ was sure to have penalties for her remuneration.
And Huw Edwards, who is not going to be returning to our TV screens after being convicted for possessing indecent photos of youngsters.
These strikes counsel Radio 1 breakfast host Greg James may very well be set to turn into the BBC’s highest paid star on £419,999 – though Ball’s substitute Scott Mills is prone to take pleasure in a considerable bump to his present wage of £319,999.
James moved up the checklist earlier to turn into the fourth highest paid star on the BBC, up from seventh in 2023, together with his pay leaping from as much as £399,999.
The 38-year-old got here to prominence after taking on the Radio 1 drivetime slot from Mills in 2012.
He went on to host Radio 1 Breakfast after switching reveals with Nick Grimshaw in 2018.
He has additionally hosted plenty of TV reveals for the company together with Solar, Intercourse and Vacation Insanity and Unzipped, each on BBC Three.
James is adopted on the BBC’s expertise pay figures for 2024 by Query Time and BBC Information presenter Fiona Bruce and Radio 5 Dwell presenter Stephen Nolan who’re in joint fifth place and earn as much as £409,999 apiece.
Desert Island Discs and 6 Music host Lauren Laverne, who was paid as much as £399,999, is in sixth and is one among 4 girls within the high ten.
Alan Shearer, with no main worldwide soccer match on in 2023, noticed his pay drop from as much as £449,999 to as a lot as £384,999, placing him seventh on the checklist.
Lineker jumped down his steps as he left his house final week after it was introduced he was leaving the BBC sooner than deliberate
Zoe Ball was one other BBC star to disclose a significant profession replace after she stepped down as host of the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Present. She was changed by the cheaper Scott Mills (left)
Huw Edwards is one other of the BBC’s high earners for 2024, however he is not going to be returning to our TV screens after being convicted for possessing indecent photos of youngsters
Radio 1 breakfast host Greg James may very well be set to turn into the BBC’s highest paid star on £419,999
BBC Director Basic Tim Davie was the best paid govt, however his pay didn’t rise final 12 months
In joint ninth, with BBC Radio 4’s At present programme presenter Nick Robinson, was BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty, whose pay went up barely to £349,999.
The wage figures additionally present that a lot of the presenters listed had posted pay rises between 2023 and 2024, with BBC Information presenter Reeta Chakrabarti getting an enormous improve within the area of £55,000 to as much as £274,999.
Ball’s pay deal had been the main focus of anger from licence charge payers – in 2020, it was revealed that she was incomes £1.36million, and the ensuing outcry led her to take a voluntary £380,000 pay minimize.
The BBC mentioned on the time that she felt it was inappropriate to earn a lot in the midst of the pandemic.
Sources say that BBC bosses have not too long ago turn into decided that the times of excessive six- and even seven-figure presenter salaries on the BBC ought to come to an finish.
So when £950,000-a-year Zoe – presently their greatest paid radio star – floated that she was considering of shifting on, they made minimal efforts to influence her to remain.
Within the newest BBC pay rankings BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty was joint ninth, after her annual earnings from the company went up barely to £349,999
That place within the pay scale was shared by the BBC’s former political editor Nick Robinson who’s now one of many most important presenters of Radio 4’s At present programme
BBC Information presenter Reeta Chakrabarti was given a rise within the area of £55,000 to as much as £274,999, in response to the newest annual figures
Lauren Laverne, quickly to return to presenting Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4, was paid as much as £399,999 – placing her in sixth place within the pay desk and as one among 4 girls within the high ten
At present Scott Mills, 52, earns a comparably modest £315,000 annually.
A BBC supply instructed MailOnline: ‘Scott will get a bump in his wage for taking over the breakfast gig, that is the flagship position and it is very demanding so he deserves it – however it will not take him wherever near the cash Zoe has been getting.
‘The reality is, despite the fact that she could be very nicely preferred by the administration and an actual BBC stalwart, any alternative to avoid wasting severe cash needs to be snatched at as of late. This might save one thing near half one million quid yearly.
‘Regardless of having beforehand taken a pay minimize Zoe’s cash had come underneath renewed scrutiny recently as a result of it is proper up in direction of the highest of the revealed salaries checklist – subsequent to the likes of Gary Lineker who’s leaving too.
‘She would have been the company’s largest wage if she had outstayed him.
‘When Scott begins his cash can be a whole bunch of 1000’s of kilos much less per 12 months than Zoe’s was, so that they’re fairly happy that subsequent time they need to report their presenter pay it can look quite a bit much less extreme.’
Regardless of the excessive pay for its largest names, the company revealed final month plans to chop plenty of reveals as a part of a financial savings drive.
