The annual list reveals the presenters who earn £150,000 a year or more directly from the licence fee. But the list does not include the income earned from any stars’ involvement in shows made by BBC Studios, such as Strictly Come Dancing, Antiques Roadshow and Top Gear. This has caused anger that the list does not represent the true earnings of the biggest paid presenters.
An unnamed BBC star told the Daily Mail: “The whole thing is a fiasco.
“There is zero transparency here.
“It’s a very misleading list and the BBC has failed for years to come up with a more honest system of reporting pay.
“There are prominent people missing from the list who are very high earners.”
The star added other staff at the BBC regard the list as “farcical”.
They said: “They are hidden because of how they are paid. Staff think the whole thing is farcical.
“Unless the BBC changes this deeply misleading way of reporting earnings, the current resentment will grow.
“It’s not a good look for an organisation which prides itself on openness and transparency.”
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The star added they did not believe the list reflects extra earnings for different shows.
They claimed: “Take a hypothetical female presenter who does a modest number of days in news and also presents an antiques show.
“Her BBC earnings are probably way in excess of £1 million.
“The list does not reflect this.”
However, it was not confirmed whether Ms Bruce does actually earn more than the list says.
Another well-known BBC presenter said: “A lot of us feel it’s perfectly reasonable that these high salaries are made public, but the list should include everyone, irrespective of how the BBC pays their wages.
“Otherwise it becomes unreliable and, for those people whose full earnings are on the list, annoying.”
A BBC spokesman said the corporation was “more open than we’ve ever been”.
But they added: “The BBC Charter doesn’t require us to disclose pay from BBC Studios.”
