The BBC has for the first time been forced to reveal the names of talent who earn over £150,000 a year, prompting a feeding frenzy for its critics.

The salaries are divided into pay bands, and only include pay for presenters and talent who work directly for the BBC, mainly in news, radio, sport, and some drama. The totals don't include fees paid by independent production companies who make some of the BBC's biggest hit comedy and entertainment shows. They also do not disclose the income earned through BBC Worldwide.



Tony Hall, the director-general of the BBC, said the corporation had reduced its overall bill, and defended it by saying: "Of the 43,000 talent contracts with the BBC last year, less than a quarter of one per cent were paid more than £150,000.



"The BBC produces some of the nation's most loved television and radio and the most trusted news, while operating in a competitive market with the likes of Sky, ITV, Netflix and Amazon. It is widely acknowledged that on the whole the BBC pays less than its competitors while delivering high-quality and award-winning content."

The BBC has had two years to address inequalities before revealing the numbers after the government ordered publication but has still had to push equality goals to 2020.

1. There's a gigantic wage disparity between men and women.