‘My huge salary is not justified next to Grenfell fire crews’

BBC presenter John Humphrys yesterday admitted that he did not deserve his six-figure salary as much as other public sector workers, as he compared his role with that of a firefighter on the scene of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

The Cardiff-born broadcaster’s comments came after he was named fifth on the BBC’s list of highest paid staff members, earning a yearly pay packet of £600,000-£650,000.

But speaking on Radio 4’s Media Show after the figures were released on Wednesday, the channel’s Today programme presenter said he felt he did provide a useful service within the media market.

Asked if he felt he was worth the hefty pay cheque, the 73-year-old, who was born in Splott, said: “What do I do? On paper, absolutely nothing that justifies that amount of money.

“If you compare me with lots of other people – a doctor who saves a child’s life, a nurse who comforts a dying person, or a fireman who rushes into Grenfell Tower – then of course you couldn’t argue that I am not worth twopence halfpenny.

“However, we operate in a market place and I think I provide a fairly useful service. Somebody has to do the job of trying to hold power to account and speak the truth about all that stuff.”

Humphrys, who also hosts BBC 2 quiz show Mastermind, began working for the broadcaster 50 years ago on a £2,000 salary, after attending Cardiff High School and working for The Penarth Times and Western Mail newspapers.

He added that he would “of course” do his job for less money, adding: “It’s corny, forgive me, but I love almost everything about (the BBC), but not its bureaucracy, obviously.”

As reported in yesterday’s Echo, newly-released documents setting out the pay for staff on more than £150,000 have shown a sizeable gap in the earnings of the corporation’s most wellknown male and female presenters and actors.

Chris Evans topped the list on more than £2m while the highest paid woman was Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman on between £450,000-£499,999.

Speaking of the publicly funded organisation’s decision to unveil the figures, Humphrys agreed that it was the right thing to do.

“I’ve always thought that,” he said. “In fact I have offered many, many times over the years to reveal what I was earning and (the BBC) always took their view (not to do this).

“I can see the reasons why they took that view, because it might end up distorting the market place, but as an individual, as opposed to a BBC corporate person, I am perfectly happy that people should know what I earn and I am terribly interested in seeing the reaction.

“It may be that I am absolutely stunned and pack it all in a week Thursday and say ‘that’s it, I’m full of shame,’ but let’s see what happens.”