BBC presenter John Humphrys has described Gary Lineker’s £1.75 million paypacket for presenting Match of the Day as “outrageous”. The retiring Radio 4 Today host says all the former footballer does to command such a salary is simply a “wee bit of chatting”. Asked what he thought about Lineker’s ‘voluntary’ pay cut which the ex-England […]
BBC presenter John Humphrys has described Gary Lineker’s £1.75 million paypacket for presenting Match of the Day as “outrageous”.
The retiring Radio 4 Today host says all the former footballer does to command such a salary is simply a “wee bit of chatting”.
Asked what he thought about Lineker’s ‘voluntary’ pay cut which the ex-England captain revealed last month, John, 76, said: “ We don’t know how much so ask me when we know. I don’t know.
“I thought that £1.75 million for doing a wee bit of chatting was outrageous.”
Gary, 58, who is the highest paid presenter at the Corporation, is reducing his bumper salary amid criticisms public money is being used to fund bumper salaries rather than providing free TV licences for the over-75s, a policy which is now being axed.
Speaking last month, the ex-Spurs striker said: “I love my job at the BBC and I enjoy doing it.
“I’m currently negotiating a new contract with them and I’m volunteering to take less.”
But The Sun later revealed his hand had been forced by BBC executives.
Veteran broadcaster John had his pay cut by half over the past three years, falling from £400,000-£409,999 in 2017/18 to between £290,000 and £294,999.
Speaking at the Cheltenham Literary Festival today he conceded the broadcaster could not continue in its “current form”.
He said: “In it’s present form, probably not. In the face of social media, in the face of Netflix, Amazon and so on, that kin of pressure, increasingly difficult to justify the licence fee.”
John also revealed he had twice rejected offers to appear on Strictly Come Dancing and has not watched a second of the hit or the Great British Bake Off.
He added: “I’ve never seen either of them in my life. I have been asked not once but twice to appear on Strictly and said no both times.”
John told how he twice begged The Queen to do an interview but she rejected him saying “Nope”.
She went on to tell him if she was ever to do an interview it would “certainly not be with you”.
