BBC employees have revealed that morale behind-the-scenes is “pretty low” following the reveal of its biggest stars’ salaries.
A staff member at the corporation has told The Independent that there is “an obvious disconnect” within the organisation as presenters receive six-figure salaries while staff members face redundancies and cuts.
The response comes after the BBC published its annual list of highest-paid stars last week, revealing that sacked radio presenter Scott Mills received a £400,000 pay rise before his exit.
He was the BBC’s top earner on £745,000-£749,999, while Radio 1’s Greg James, BBC Radio Ulster’s Stephen Nolan and presenter Laura Kuenssberg followed behind with salaries above £400,000.
Meanwhile, new director-general Matt Brittin announced in June that the organisation needed to cut spending by £80m and planned to axe 1,800 to 2,000 jobs within BBC News, TV and radio-related roles.
Speaking to The Independent, an anonymous BBC employee said that the forthcoming cuts and presenter pay rises are taking their toll on staff.
“The mood at the BBC is pretty low at the moment,” they said. “There is a feeling that senior leadership and older staff members enjoy better salaries, better pensions, and huge redundancy payouts, while younger and more junior staff are asked to make do on one per cent pay rises and have little room for progression.
“Everyone who works at the BBC wants to see it succeed and we all understand the need to retain our best talent, but this seems to work in favour of those on-screen at the expense of the backroom staff who work to make things possible.”
They added that there’s “an obvious disconnect in the organisation” and staff want senior leadership to “be more transparent and self-aware”.
Last week, other BBC employees spoke to The Times, with one revealing that they felt “pig-sick” over the presenters’ high salaries. “It feels like outdated legacy pay for an era that has gone,” one said.
Another told the publication: “It has gone down like the proverbial cup of cold sick. Too many are earning too much while those who graft earn much less.”
A BBC spokesperson told The Independent: “We want to attract and retain the best people right across the BBC.
“We are committed to fair pay and continue to review and monitor the pay of all colleagues to strike the right balance between remaining competitive, managing financial pressures and delivering value for audiences.”
The BBC revealed last week that the number of licence fee payers has dropped by half a million since last year, with fewer paying the £180 per year fee, which funds the BBC’s public service television, radio and online content. According to the corporation’s annual report, there were only 23.3 million licences active by the end of the 2025/2026 financial year, constituting a drop of 540,000.
While a government review of the BBC’s Royal Charter is underway, examining its funding model, the broadcaster pushed out a divisive new advertising campaign during the World Cup final to incentivise viewers to pay the licence fee.
A new take on John Cleese’s 1985 BBC advert, “What Has the BBC Ever Done For Me?” saw comedian Romesh Ranganathan question why he should pay the licence fee, before being challenged by some of the corporation’s biggest stars. From The Traitors’ Claudia Winkleman and the cast of EastEnders to various BBC Radio presenters, Only Fools and Horses’ David Jason and Hollywood star Cate Blanchett on The Graham Norton Show, celebs came out in full force to back the Beeb.
Meanwhile, the high salaries of the BBC’s stars – many of whom featured in the ad – were revealed to the public last Tuesday. Alongside Mills, James, Nolan and Kuenssberg, Radio 2’s Vernon Kay also featured in the Top 10, with a salary of £405,000-£409,999 as well as football commentator Alan Shearer (£390,000-£394,999), BBC journalist Justin Webb (£375,000-£379,999), BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty (£360,000-£364,999), Question Time’s Fiona Bruce (£345,000-£349,999) and newsreader Sophie Raworth (£340,000-£344,999).
