The BBC has cut the wage bill for its top talent by 10 per cent after high-earning stars such as Gary Lineker and Zoe Ball took pay cuts, today's annual report from the corporation will reveal.
The figures are set to show the total amount handed out to the biggest stars, on £150,000 or more, has dropped by more than £2million in the space of a year.
This means the figures, covering the 2020/21 financial year, will show the corporation spent about £19.6million on its top stars, down from £21.7million the year before.
Last year, it was announced that Match of the Day host Lineker had agreed to give up about £400,000 of his £1.75million pay package, as part of a five-year deal.