Newsreader Huw Edwards earned £550,000 – £599,999 in 2016/17 while One Show presenter Alex Jones earned £400,000 – £449,999, according to salaries revealed by the BBC today.

Today programme presenter John Humphries earned £600,000 – £649,000, while radio and television presenter Jason Mohammad earned £250,000 -£299,999.

Rugby contributor Jonathan Davies earned £150,000 to £199,999, as did Rhodri Talfan Davies, the Director of BBC Wales.

This is the first time the pay packets of the BBC’s highest paid stars have been made public, as required under the new Royal Charter. It lists the 96 stars who earn more than £150,000 a year.

The highest paid star on the BBC’s books was Chris Evans, who earned between £2.2m and £2.25m. Gary Lineker was in second place on between £1.75m and £1.8m.

The BBC’s Director General, Tony Hall, said that he “didn’t think it was right” to reveal the salaries of individual stars and presenters.

He argued that it would drive up pay and also be a “poacher’s charter”. Salaries in the commercial sector were considerably higher, the BBC said.