Former BBC news presenter Huw Edwards, who resigned from the BBC on medical advice in April, saw his salary increase by £40,000 last year. Edwards was suspended in July 2023 over allegations in The Sun newspaper of paying a young person for sexually explicit photos. However, police did not take any action against him, stating that there was no evidence of a criminal offense.
According to the BBC’s latest annual report, Edwards received between £435,000 and £439,999 in the year 2022/2023, which rose to £475,000 – £479,999 between April 2023 and April 2024. Despite being suspended, Edwards remained on the payroll, as per normal BBC policy.
Edwards’ departure came nine months after his wife revealed that he had been admitted to the hospital with serious mental health issues. The BBC confirmed that Edwards had not been paid off as part of his departure.
In other news, Gary Lineker topped the list of the BBC’s best-paid stars for the seventh consecutive year, earning £1,350,000 – £1,354,999 in the last financial year. BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball was the second-highest earner, with £950,000 to £954,999, a decrease of £30,000 from the previous year.
The BBC’s annual report also highlighted job cuts within the corporation, with 2,000 roles being cut in the last five years, a decrease of 10%. Additionally, the report mentioned an ongoing independent inquiry into former Radio 1 presenter Tim Westwood’s conduct at the BBC, which has been delayed due to an ongoing police investigation.
Overall, the BBC’s annual report sheds light on the financial and operational aspects of the corporation, including salary changes, job cuts, and ongoing investigations into misconduct allegations.
