LONDON • England failed to make it to the World Cup final but, in terms of pay, former striker-turned-TV presenter Gary Lineker has no match.
On Tuesday, the BBC said the Match Of The Day host was its best-paid star in 2017-2018, with earnings in the £1.75 million (S$3.15 million) to £1.76 million bracket.
The 12 best-paid stars are all men, according to Britain's public broadcaster, which is grappling with a gender equality scandal.
Last month, it issued an apology to former China editor Carrie Gracie, who quit in January in a highly public protest against being paid less than her male counterparts.
The top-earning woman, presenter Claudia Winkleman, was paid between £370,000 and £379,999.
She fronts popular entertainment shows, including Strictly Come Dancing.
The BBC, funded by a licence fee levied on TV viewers, is obliged to disclose details of people paid more than £150,000.
Director General Tony Hall said it was committed to closing the gender pay gap by 2020, but added that "these things take time".
The BBC said the proportion of men in the list of top earners had fallen to 59 per cent in the current financial year from 76 per cent in 2016-2017.
REUTERS
