BBC Top Earners' Salaries: Jeremy Vine Makes Poignant Message For His Daughters

Other stars earning more than £150k have also responded to the revelations.
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The BBC’s fourth-top earner Jeremy Vine has responded to the fallout from Wednesday’s salary revelations by tweeting a poignant message for his daughters.

The presenter, who earned between £700,000 and £749,999 in 2016, shared a cartoon by artist Matt, which commented on the controversial gender pay gap revealed by the list.

Vine, whose salary was surpassed only by three men; Chris Evans (at least £2.24m), Gary Lineker (at least £1.75m) and Graham Norton (£850,000), still earned at least £200,000 more than top earning woman Claudia Winkleman.

The satirical cartoon, published in The Telegraph newspaper, showed a male and a female news anchor side-by-side, with the comment: “And now my male colleague will read the Autocue more expensively”.

Its publication came one day after the BBC faced criticism for stars seeming to work the same jobs with seemingly huge gaps in their pay.

For example, Matt Baker and Alex Jones who both present The One Show had at least £50,000 difference in their salaries where BBC News presenters Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce salaries were £200,000 apart.

Vine, who has two daughters with his wife former BBC News presenter Rachel Schofield, tweeted: “As the father of two young girls, I hope they won’t understand this cartoon by the time they start work.”

While many retweeted and liked Vine’s message, some called him “self-righteous”.

There was also a mixed reaction when Vine initially responded to being named on the list by asking his own boss live on air to justify his salary.

Before he tweeted the cartoon, he initially Tweeted this photo of Joy Division.

During his Radio 2 show, Vine took it upon himself to challenge earnings at the BBC, asking James Purnell - the broadcaster’s director of radio: “I’m listed as having a salary of between £700,000 and £750,000.

Feeling Vine?
Feeling Vine?
Lauren Hurley

“You provide a huge public service,” Purnell said.

“Let’s take the last few weeks. You have been talking about funeral care and how people were being ripped off for that.

“That is something that I’m proud to have on the BBC, proud to have in our country and plays a vital role in our democracy.”

Vine also faced criticism for ducking a question. When asked by a listener if he thought he was overpaid, he replied: “I don’t think it’s the moment from me.”

Since the BBC released the list of talent who earn more than £150,000, all eyes have been on the 96 stars on it.

And while some have directly or indirectly discussed the issue live on air, some have remained silent.

But there are no better people to respond to the fallout than those receiving the salaries themselves.

While many are watching their television and radio appearances for reaction, here are the best social media comebacks and responses so far.

Gary Lineker, who was one of the first to Tweet ahead of the list’s publication, has continued to attempt to laugh off his salary of at least £1.75 million.

The retired footballer turned sports presenter anticipated criticism over his pay packet by joking he would need a “tin helmet”.

After it was revealed radio presenter and former Top Gear presenter Chris Evans took home at least £2.3 million in 2016, he remained light-hearted.

But not everyone was impressed.

He took the time to reply though, responding to criticism with individual replies.

He even got a bit sassy.

He continued the social media conversation by retweeting supportive Tweets.

But also put his foot down when he was compared to Claudia Winkleman, whose salary was nearly five times smaller than Evans’.

He also made his feelings on the Daily Mail clear.

This was reinforced as he retweeted these Tweets criticising the Daily Mail’s editor Paul Dacre as well as Rupert Murdoch, who owns The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times.

While presenter Andrew Marr, who earned as much as £449,999, remained silent on Twitter, the editor of the Andrew Marr Show Rob Burley spoke up....

...To defend Gary Lineker.

BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker was not impressed with The Sun’s front page.

Before the list even came out he’d had to fend off Piers Morgan - who surprise, surprise, also managed to hit the headlines when he broke the embargo on the BBC story and was branded a ‘bellend’.

Walker, who pocketed £200,000 to £249,000, had plenty of sass for the Good Morning Britain presenter.

Meanwhile, presenter Stephen Nolan, who earned between £400,000 and £449,999, was pretty humble in his response.

And anticipated some questions much like Vine.

Correspondent Jeremy Bowen, who earned between £150,000 and £199,999 simply retweeted this.

And Andrew Neil, who earned between £200,000 and £249,999, quote retweeted this.

Meanwhile BBC Radio 4 Today’s Justin Webb who earned at least £150,000, Tweeted this.

His Today programme colleagues John Humphrys earned at least £600,000 and Nick Robinson at least £250,000.

And of course the bants between friends and colleagues over hefty pay packets continued.

The BBC banter kicked off on Wednesday, when Scott Mills, who earned at least £250,000 in 2016, was asked to shout lunch for colleagues including BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Stark.

Mills apparently obliged.

Walker, who earned around £50,000 less than Mills, also joined in.

Radio 1 DJ Greg James, who earned at least £150,000 last year, simply Tweeted a YouTube clip of The Office where David Brent sings Des’ree’s ’Crazy Maze’ which includes the lyrics: “Money don’t make my world go round. I’m reaching out to a higher ground.”

His colleague Nick Grimshaw was shown to be Radio 1′s top earner by the list - taking up to £250,000 more than him, with a salary of between £350,000 and £399,999.

Other BBC colleagues also had fun comebacks to the list, with one political correspondent saying she was going to sell badges for those who didn’t earn enough to make the cut.

This is what BBC Woman’s Hour presenter Jane Garvey had to say.

#NotOnTheList proceeded to be a hashtag for disgruntled BBC employees.

And of course the spoof accounts joined the conversation too.

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