Lineker's final BBC salary revealed as Shearer takes significant pay cut

Gary Lineker earned between £325,000 and £329,999 in his final year at the BBC, according to the corporation’s newly released Annual Report — a dramatic reduction from the £1.35m–£1.354m he received in the previous reporting period. The figures cover the year to March 2026, during which Lineker continued to present Match of the Day highlights before departing in May 2025.

Once the BBC’s highest-paid on-screen figure, Lineker has dropped to 15th on the broadcaster’s salary list. His reduced earnings reflect only a partial year’s work on the MOTD highlights show and other football coverage ahead of his exit.

Alan Shearer, who remains a central part of the BBC’s football output, also saw his pay fall. The former Newcastle striker dropped from the £440,000–£449,999 band to £390,000–£394,999, placing him sixth on the list. Shearer continued to work for the channel throughout the period, including during the 2026 World Cup.

The corporation’s top earner for the year ending March 2026 was former BBC Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills, who received between £745,000 and £749,999 before his sacking in March. Mills’s departure means the broadcaster’s pay landscape at the top end is set to look markedly different in the next annual report.

The salary disclosures form part of the BBC’s wider Annual Report, which the public broadcaster is required to publish each year as part of its accountability obligations under its Royal Charter.