The amount is £170,000 more than her BBC Breakfast co-host
The BBC’s annual rich list has been released and British Asian stars have seen their salaries increase over the past year.
Former BBC Radio 2 breakfast host Scott Mills was the highest-paid presenter, earning around £745,000.
He was sacked earlier in 2026 when it emerged he had been accused of historical sexual offences. Mills co-operated with a police investigation and was not charged.
When it comes to the BBC’s Asian presenters, Naga Munchetty topped the list, earning £360,000 to £364,999, a £5,000 increase from 2024-2025.
Her salary covers her work across breakfast television and her radio programme.
The amount is £170,000 more than her BBC Breakfast co-host Charlie Stayt, who remains in the £190,000 – £194,999 bracket.
Meanwhile, Reeta Chakrabarti saw a £25,000 increase, placing her in the £325,000 – £329,999 bracket.
The journalist is known for presenting BBC News.
Amol Rajan also saw his pay climb into the £320,000 – £324,999 range.
Known for presenting BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Amol announced in early 2026 that he would be leaving the current affairs show.
He presents University Challenge and will be a contestant on series two of Celebrity Traitors.
For years, Gary Lineker topped the star salaries but he left the BBC last summer after sharing an Instagram reel that featured an antisemitic illustration, for which he apologised. He has gone on to sign new contracts with ITV and Netflix.
The former Match of the Day presenter remains on the list but his earnings have dropped significantly after his exit two months into the financial year.
Many big-name stars, such as Claudia Winkleman, Graham Norton and Michael McIntyre, do not feature on the BBC’s list of highest earners because their programmes are made by the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Studios or other independent production companies.
The latest annual report also shows the number of TV licences in force went down by 539,000 last year.
In total, the number of TV licences has dropped by two million in the past five years – from 25.3m in 2020-21 to 23.3m last year.
Here is the list of British Asian presenters who earned more than £178,000, according to the BBC’s accounts:
- Naga Munchetty: £360,000 – £364,999
- Reeta Chakrabarti: £325,000 – £329,999
- Amol Rajan: £320,000 – £324,999
- Tina Daheley: £300,000 – £304,999
- Faisal Islam: £235,000 – £239,999
- Matthew Amroliwala: £210,000 – £214,999
- Sumi Somaskanda: £205,000 – £209,999
- Maryam Moshiri: £200,000 – £204,999
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