The BBC has handed 61 senior executives five-figure pay rises while offering rank-and-file staff increases of just 1.5 per cent, according to figures uncovered by The Mail on Sunday.
A record 130 executives at the UK public service broadcaster now earn more than £178,000 a year. Those earning above the disclosure threshold took home a collective £31 million last year, up from £15.4 million in 2022/23.
The disclosures come as the BBC faces growing uncertainty over its £180 annual licence fee. Actor and comedian Romesh Ranganathan recently fronted a promotional campaign featuring prominent stars to justify the public charge.
Government ministers may scrap the licence fee when the BBC's Royal Charter comes up for renewal in December. Alternative funding options under consideration include a household levy, a subscription model, or commercial advertising.
Licence fee payments suffered their largest annual drop since the pandemic last year, with 539,000 people stopping payments. That left 23.3 million households funding the broadcaster, the lowest level since 1999.
Senior executive salaries and top earners
Under public disclosure requirements, the BBC must publish the salaries of all employees earning more than £178,000 a year in its annual report, using salary bands of £5,000.
Chief content officer Kate Phillips was the biggest winner, with her pay packet rising from £314,999 to a potential £459,999.
Rhuanedd Richards received the second-biggest rise, with her salary jumping from £194,999 to £279,999 after her job title changed from Nations Director to Interim Director, Nations.
John McAndrew, director of news, received a £60,000 pay rise to £289,999 after his title shifted from Director, News Programmes.
Director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski took home an extra £60,000, bringing his salary to £294,999 despite his job title remaining the same.
Storm Fagan rounded out the top five pay increases with an extra £55,000, taking her earnings to £409,999 after her role expanded from chief product officer to chief technology and product officer.
Resignations and human resources pay
Former executive Deborah Turness and former director-general Tim Davie both received pay increases before resigning in November following allegations that a Panorama documentary misled viewers by editing a speech by former US President Donald Trump.
Ms Turness's salary rose by £15,000 to up to £449,999 in 2025/26, while Mr Davie's salary increased by £15,000 to up to £559,999.
The number of human resources directors earning over £178,000 has more than tripled in three years, rising from three in 2022/23 to 11 today, with average salaries exceeding £220,000.
While executive pay grew, UK licence fee payers saw average annual pay rises of 4.1 per cent, compared to the 1.5 per cent offered to rank-and-file BBC staff. The corporation also issued 292 redundancy payments worth over £100,000 last year, totaling £37.1 million.
Director-general Matt Brittin insisted it is "right" the BBC offers competitive pay to attract talent, though he said he would examine the number of senior managers.
A BBC spokesman said: "The rises last year reflected promotions to more senior roles and increased responsibilities, against the backdrop of a fiercely competitive market."
Hospitality cuts at the BBC Proms
The pay disclosures emerged alongside complaints from guests attending the BBC Proms classical music festival at the Royal Albert Hall in London regarding reduced corporate hospitality.
Guests in the BBC's two 12-seat hospitality boxes reported that traditional hors d'oeuvres provided by the venue's in-house caterer were replaced with pub snacks.
One guest, who asked not to be named, said: "I did notice they had pared back. We had crisps, some biscuit-type things and a bowl of peanuts."
Another guest said they received no crisps and were told Sam Jackson, controller of BBC Radio 3 and the Proms, axed hors d'oeuvres to save £2,000 a year.
A BBC spokesman said: "Any hospitality provided is proportionate, complies with BBC policies and is incurred only where there is a clear and legitimate business purpose."
