The BBC stars who are #NotOnTheList either need to sack their agents or, more likely, are dodging scrutiny by being paid via production companies. Many Beeb programmes are produced by third party companies, which means their stars still ultimately receive licence fee payer cash while keeping their names off the rich list. Neither Ian Hislop nor Paul Merton are on there because Have I Got News For You is made by Hat Trick Productions – they are thought to receive five figures per episode. Not forgetting Hislop’s documentaries which all go towards the upkeep of the comb-dodger’s £5 million Chelsea home. The Apprentice is made by United Artists so Alan Sugar avoids being named. Graham Norton’s salary was disclosed as £900,000 yesterday – the true figure is much higher because The Graham Norton Show is made by So Television. Mary Berry and Sue Perkins from Bake Off weren’t on the list, neither was David Attenborough because he is paid via BBC Worldwide, nor was Paxo because University Challenge is made by Granada. All these companies receive vast sums from the licence fee payer, with which they pay their stars millions, yet their names are #NotOnTheList…
One of the more interesting is Screenwipe’s Charlie Brooker. His programme is made by Zeppotron, a production company co-founded by Brooker which is part of Endemol. Charlie is a director of four companies – House of Tomorrow Drama Ltd, House of Tomorrow Holdings Ltd, Black Mirror Drama Ltd and Black Mirror Drama (S4) Ltd. Zeppotron and these four companies are all registered at the London office of Endemol Shine, which is headquartered in Holland and co-owned by Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox. Puts Charlie’s Murdoch mocking and Sun-bashing into perspective.
Guido was most shocked to see Emily Maitlis #NotOnTheList. Emily is one of the Beeb’s top stars, presenting Newsnight and the news – she is rightly unimpressed and quipped at an tech industry event last night: “You’re an industry doing so well, soon you’ll be able to afford a BBC man”. Her agent tweeted:
If Maitlis isn’t on the list and doesn’t get paid through a production company, that means the Beeb think she’s worth less than half an Evan Davis…
