Evans: Mum said to earn what I can, when I can
what I am paid is what anybody is worth either. I think it would be quite arrogant of me to put a value on me. “It’s the market that puts the value on you and that’s what the BBC is working within.” GOOD RUN Chris Evans topped the pay chart DEFIANT motormouth Chris Evans has said his mum’s advice to “earn what you can, when you can, while you can” means he has no shame over his bloated BBC salary.
The Radio 2 host and Top Gear flop, who is the BBC’s highest earner on more than £2million a year, said he called ex-nurse Minnie, 91, for advice on how to handle questions yesterday after the row broke.
The star acknowledged the backlash on pay revelations during a round-up of Thursday’s papers on his breakfast show.
Evans, 51, said: “What do you say when confronted with the question, ‘Are you embarrassed about what you earn? Are you ashamed of what you earn?’.
“How do you react to that when all you’re doing is coming to work every day like you have been for years to fulfil an agreed contract? I ADVICE Evans with mum Minnie
had no idea what to say. I’ve been asked that question and so have many of my colleagues over the last 24 hours. So here’s what I did. I called my mum and I asked her what she thought.
“She said, ‘Tell them that your mum, who’s a nurse for most of her life, always told you after your dad died to try to find a job you loved and earn what you can, when you can, while you can – which you did from when you were a paper boy, right through until what you’re doing now.
“’And tell them if your bosses don’t think you’re worth it one day, they’ll sort that out soon enough’.
“So there you are – I’m going with what my mum said and that’s it. I don’t think you tune in to hear us talk about these things but I had to say that this morning.
“I thank my mum for advice, as always, I live by her word and I will die by her word.”