DESPITE £400K CUT

CRISP flogger Gary Lineker is still the BBC’S highest-earning on-air talent – despite agreeing to a pay reduction of around £400,000.

New figures show Zoe Ball remains the broadcaster’s second-highest paid star as Radio 2’s breakfast host.

The corporation’s annual report for 2020/21 shows it has slashed 10% from its pay bill for top talent after many big names agreed to salary cuts or quit.

Match Of The Day host Gary, 60 – who is the face of Walkers Crisps – took a pay cut from £1.75million a year to £1.36m last year. Meanwhile, Zoe asked to reduce her pay by 28% to £980,000 to reflect the impact of the pandemic.

A BBC spokeswoman said of Zoe, 50: “Her professionalism and commitment to the Breakfast Show is extraordinary.”

Graham Norton, 58, is the only person to drop out of the top 10, after leaving his Radio 2 Saturday show for Virgin Radio in December.

But the list did not include his chat show salary because it is produced by the broadcaster’s commercial arm BBC Studios – as is Strictly.

This meant Claudia Winkleman, 49, who took Graham’s radio slot, did not appear on the list of stars earning over £150,000 a year. Critics called on the BBC to axe its licence fee, with John O’connell from the Taxpayers’ Alliance saying: “BBC pay packets are picked from the pockets of pensioners and taxpayers.” BBC director-general Tim Davie said he was “absolutely focused” on making reforms to offer “the best” service possible.