The BBC has once again come under intense scrutiny by many after it was revealed Radio 2 host Zoe Ball, 49, is currently the highest-paid presenter, reportedly now taking home £1.36 million compared to her 2019 pay packet of £370,000. It comes after BBC released their annual pay report that publishes the wages of their on-air talent earning above £150,000.
The insight caused division among the public and it became a hot topic on TalkRADIO, where broadcaster James Whale aired his views on the matter and he wasn’t best impressed.
“I think the BBC is going to have to be cut right back to the bone,” he said.
“It’ll be a much smaller service because it’s got too big and thinks it can do whatever it likes,” he said before interrupting himself.
“Why would you pay someone like Zoe Ball nine times more than the Prime Minister of the nation?” he queried before proposing the BBC hire him and his co-star former Brexit Part MEP Alex Phillips to take over Zoe’s show.
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He’s now expected to earn around £1.3 million after the salary reduction.
Of the unexpected move, a BBC source told The Sun: “Zoe was given a very big pay rise when she took on the job because the gender pay row at the BBC was raging and she was replacing a man on a big wage in a high-profile job.
“She has always been thankful for the wage she earns, and she does work very hard, getting up at 4am daily and putting in long hours.”
They added: “But in the current climate, and during a pandemic, she has felt increasingly uncomfortable about how much she earns so has requested that it is reduced.”
