BBC could face legal action over gender pay-gap backlash
The 2017 disclosure of BBC top-earner salaries set off immediate backlash from female presenters who argued the figures exposed systemic underpayment. The list showed that only a third of the corporation’s highest-paid stars were women, prompting threats of legal action and sharp public criticism from politicians and staff alike.
The report, published on Wednesday, reveals Chris Evans, Radio 4 DJ and former host of the struggling Top Gear reboot, was the BBC’s highest earning star, having raked in more than £2.2 million. (Keep in mind Evans couldn’t even drive and talk at the same time during the filming of the show.)
Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman was the highest-paid female star employed by the company, having earned around £475,000 for the year. But out of the entirety of the list detailing the BBC’s biggest earners, Alex Jones, who presents The One Show alongside Matt Baker, was the only other woman to exceed the £400,000 bracket.
BBC Sport presenter Clare Balding was paid a salary of around £175,000, while retired footballer and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker earned more than £1.75 million.
Graham Norton, another male earner on the list, received upwards of £850,000 according to the report. But Norton’s salary, like Chris Evans’s, does not include additional proceeds from The Graham Norton Show, which could potentially push his overall earnings above an estimated £2.5 million.
Radio 4’s Today presenter Sarah Montague, 2017 Broadcast Journalist of the Year Emily Maitlis, and BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin each took in less than £150,000, not appearing on the highest-earner list. Maitlis, who also presents BBC Two’s Newsnight and live news bulletins on BBC One, is said to be considering leaving. In fact, insiders claim a “mutiny” is brewing within the broadcasting corporation.
John Humphrys, paid between £600,000 to £649,999, encouraged the release of the report and has since stated he is “not happy” about the “strange” pay gap between him and his female co-stars on Radio 4’s Today, Montague and Mishal Husain, remarking, “I don’t think that is right.”
Harriet Harman, who holds the record as the longest-ever continuously-serving female MP, said it was “very important that the lid has been lifted on this pay discrimination in the BBC”. Harman, speaking to BBC News, added that “the BBC needs to set an example”.
Prime Minister Theresa May herself even waded into the discussion. “I think what has happened today is we have seen the way the BBC is paying women less for doing the same job as the men. I want to see women paid equally with men,” May concluded in an interview with LBC, the London-based phone-in radio station. At least 100 stars and presenters working for Auntie Beeb earn salaries in excess of the prime minister herself, who takes home £150,402.
Initial Report and Backlash
The 2017 report listed only salaries funded by the license fee, so major names such as Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch and the legendary Sir David Attenborough (Planet Earth) were absent. Matt LeBlanc, who took over the role of Top Gear host following the departure of Chris Evans and is best known for portraying Joey on smash-hit series Friends, was also missing because the show was partly funded by BBC Worldwide. The total bill for the highest earners came to £28.7 million, down from £31 million the previous year, though the list covered only a fraction of the BBC’s 43,000 talent contracts.
Legal Outcomes for Presenters
Four female news presenters later filed claims that included sex and age discrimination. An employment tribunal excluded the equal pay element in 2024, and the full dispute settled in March 2025. The outcome closed the specific case without establishing a new equal pay precedent, yet it confirmed that the original threats of legal action produced measurable results years after the 2017 list appeared.
Current BBC Gender Pay Gap Metrics
Public Service Broadcasting median gap figures have narrowed since the 2017 disclosure. Recent reporting places the BBC PSB median at 6.2 percent. BBC Studios Distribution Limited recorded a median gap of 10.7 percent for the 2025-2026 reporting year, with women earning 89p for every £1 earned by men on median hourly pay. These numbers show continued movement, though the gap at the very top remains wider than the overall median.
Progress on 2020 Diversity Targets
Lord Tony Hall, who earned more than £450,000 at the time, pledged that lead and presenting roles would be equally divided by men and women by 2020. Later evaluations found the target was not fully met; women reached 45 percent of leadership positions. Overall workforce gender balance approached parity in some divisions, yet structural imbalances at senior levels persisted according to subsequent internal reports.
Recent High Earners List and Representation
Updated 2025 lists show that the highest-paid tier remains predominantly male. Gary Lineker topped recent rankings until his departure. The pattern echoes the 2017 disclosure, where men occupied the top four spots, indicating that transparency alone has not shifted representation at the uppermost salary bands.
The BBC’s equality information reports note that salary adjustments for hundreds of female staff followed the original pay transparency push. Median gaps have narrowed over the years, yet the corporation continues to face questions about how quickly senior pay structures will reflect the broader workforce balance.
