BBC’s Highest-Paid British Asian Stars Revealed

The BBC’s annual rich list is out and it’s the British Asian stars making headlines with pay packets that have soared past expectations.

While Gary Lineker once again took the top spot, earning between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999, it’s the British Asian presenters causing the biggest stir.

The former Match of the Day host quit in May after reposting a controversial image criticised as antisemitic, yet his salary remained unchanged from the previous year.

But when it comes to the BBC’s Asian presenters, one name towers above the rest: Naga Munchetty.

The BBC Breakfast and Radio 5 Live host now earns £355,000 to £359,999, making her the highest-paid British Asian star at the BBC.

Her salary covers her work across breakfast television, her radio programme, and coverage of the UK general election.

The sharp increase in her pay has raised eyebrows.

Earlier in 2025, Naga was reprimanded by BBC bosses over claims of bullying and “toxic behaviour”, including alleged mistreatment of a junior colleague.

She was also called out for a sex jibe on her radio show.

Yet despite the controversy, she was handed a £10,000 raise and now earns almost double that of her co-host Charlie Stayt, who remains in the £190,000-£194,999 bracket.

Naga has consistently earned more than Charlie since joining BBC Breakfast in 2014.

Elsewhere, Mishal Husain, long considered one of the BBC’s most respected journalists, dropped down the earnings list to £325,000-£329,999, after presenting her final episode of Radio 4’s Today programme.

She had been a fixture on the show for 11 years and joined the BBC in 1998.

Mishal Husain has since gone to Bloomberg, fronting a major interview series and serving as editor-at-large for Weekend Edition.

In contrast, Amol Rajan saw his pay climb into the £315,000-£319,999 range.

The University Challenge host and Today programme regular continues to be one of the BBC’s fastest-rising names.

Meanwhile, the likes of BBC News correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti and Radio 2 Breakfast Show newsreader Tina Daheley also made it onto the BBC’s list of highest earners for 2024/25.

Here is the list of British Asian presenters who earned more than £178,000, according to the BBC’s accounts:

1. Naga Munchetty: £355,000 – £359,999
2. Mishal Husain: £325,000 – £329,999
3. Amol Rajan: £315,000 – £319,999
4. Reeta Chakrabarti: £300,000 – £304,999
5. Tina Daheley: £295,000 – £299,999
6. Faisal Islam: £235,000 – £239,999
7. Sumi Somaskanda: £185,000 – £189,999

The newly released figures are already fuelling debate about pay equality, workplace culture, and who really holds star power inside the BBC.