Sneering Lineker mocks pay row
He laughs off critics — and claims he’d be paid more by a rival
GARY Lineker mocked the row over his BBC salary of up to £1.8million – by complaining Chris Evans is paid more than him.
The former footballer’s pay for presenting Match of the Day is the equivalent of 12,500 licence fees.
Lineker, 56, has claimed he ‘could get more elsewhere’ if he ever decided to jump ship from the Corporation, which revealed yesterday that it pays him up to £1,799,000, and went to a rival broadcaster.
He tried to make light of the furore over his bumper pay packet by joking on Twitter: ‘This whole BBC salary exposure is an absolute outrage... I mean how can @achrisevans be on more than me?’
Radio 2 DJ Evans, who earns up to £2.25million, is the only BBC star paid more than the ex-England striker in the list published yesterday. Lineker had earlier anticipated that he would face criticism for receiving such a huge sum – nearly four times the wage of his fellow Match of the Day presenter Alan Shearer, who gets up to £449,999.
Hours before his pay was revealed, he tweeted: ‘Happy BBC salary day. I blame my agent and the other TV channels that pay more. Now where did I put my tin helmet?’
The former footballer claimed he had turned down a higher offer from a rival channel. When asked why he did not leave the BBC, he said: ‘Because I love and value my job and BBC sport. The rest stays private.’
Lineker’s lavish BBC salary is not the only source of income behind his millionaire lifestyle.
He is rumoured to earn a further £1million fronting BT Sport’s Champions League coverage, and since 1994 has had a lucrative deal as the face of Walkers Crisps.
The ex-sportsman – said to be worth more than £12million – was originally paid £200,000 to front the ads, but that fee has since risen to a reported £1.5million.
He has also formed a TV and production company called Goalhanger Films to enhance his profile and sell projects to a number of broadcasters, including the BBC.
More controversially, Lineker was involved in a number of so-called ‘limited liability partnerships’ set up between 2003 and 2007 by a firm called Ingenious Media to help the super-wealthy exploit tax breaks, which were set up to encourage investment in British films.
Thanks to his income, the TV presenter was able to buy a property near Barnes Common in West London with his then-wife Danielle.
Lineker paid £2.92million for the eight-bedroom home in August 2012. It is now thought to be worth around £4.3million.
He is also understood to own a holiday home in Barbados which he visits regularly.
Lineker also shared a number of tweets defending him yesterday.
He repeated a message from peer Lord Sugar, which said: ‘You should not worry.
‘You are in a market where presenters are paid at going rates. ITV, CH 4 pay more than the BBC. You have shown loyalty.’
The former footballer also quoted a journalist who said: ‘I love the BBC. Think it and its employees are worth every penny. One of the great things about Britain.’
Peter Oborne – Page 22