Scott Mills was highest paid BBC star before sacking
BBC News 2026-07-14 11:00:25
Context: Scott Mills, a 53-year-old BBC presenter, was the highest-paid star at the corporation before his sacking in March, earning around £745,000 for hosting the Radio 2 breakfast show and other BBC work. Mills was let go after allegations of historical sexual offences involving a teenager under 16 in the late 1990s surfaced, although he was not charged after cooperating with a police investigation. The BBC's annual report also revealed other top earners, including Greg James, Stephen Nolan, and Laura Kuenssberg.
Key Facts
- Scott Mills was paid around £745,000 by the BBC in his final year, which was a significant increase from the £355,000 he earned in the previous financial year.
- The BBC's annual report showed that the number of TV licences in force dropped by 539,000 during the last financial year, and by two million in the past five years, from 25.3m in 2020-21 to 23.3m last year.
- Other top earners at the BBC last year included Greg James, Stephen Nolan, Laura Kuenssberg, Vernon Kay, and Alan Shearer, while Gary Lineker's salary dropped significantly after leaving two months into the financial year.
- The BBC only publishes the names of stars it pays directly, meaning many household names like Claudia Winkleman, Michael McIntyre, and Graham Norton are missing from the list because they are paid via production companies.
- Sara Cox recently took over as the host of Radio 2's breakfast show, replacing Mills, while Zoe Ball, Mills' predecessor at breakfast, was paid more than £1.36m during her first year presenting the show in 2019, but her salary reduced over the six years she was on breakfast.