Five BBC stars earned at least £10,000 in the first three months of this year from work outside the corporation, figures show.
The News at Ten host Huw Edwards, 60, raked in a minimum of £25,000 on top of his huge BBC salary in March alone.
The presenter, who last year was paid up to £429,999 by the broadcaster, earned the extra money by working at four external events, the BBC’s quarterly external events register shows.
For one of these, working as an awards host for the magazine Business Matters, Edwards was paid more than £10,000.
For the other three, the corporation’s best-paid news host received between £5,000 and £10,000, so could have got more than £40,000 in total.
The next highest earner between January and March was the outgoing BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker, 45 who is set to take up a new role with Channel 5 later this year.
The star, who earns up to £299,999 earned at least £20,000 for four speaking events – three in February and one in March – which all paid at least £5,000. One was for TV production firm Stellify. All the roles could have paid as much as £10,000 each, meaning the star may have earned up to £40,000.
Walker’s presenting partner Naga Munchetty, 47, earned at least £15,000 from four engagements in the first three months of the year.
Five BBC stars earned at least £10,000 in the first three months of this year from work outside the corporation, figures show. The News at Ten host Huw Edwards, 60, raked in a minimum of £25,000 on top of his huge BBC salary in March alone
But the figure could have been more than £30,000 because she worked at three events in the £5,000 to £10,000 bracket and one which paid below £1,000. Last year, Miss Munchetty was paid up to £259,999 by the BBC.
Beneath Munchetty in the outside earnings list were Frank Gardner and Nick Robinson, both of whom earned at least £10,000 between January and March.
Gardner, who is the BBC’s Security Correspondent, carried out engagements in February and March, and for both he was paid between £5,000 and £10,000.
In the first, he spoke at at the Clacton and North East Essex Arts and Literary Society, whilst in the second he gave a speech at law industry firm Global Leaders in Law.
Robinson, who presents BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme and is the corporation’s former political editor, earned his money by speaking at two events in March. They both paid between £5,000 and £10,000.
Edwards, who last year was paid up to £429,999 by the broadcaster, earned the extra money by working at four external events, the BBC’s quarterly external events register shows
The next highest earner between January and March was the outgoing BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker, who is set to take up a new role with Channel 5 later this year. The star, who earns up to £299,999 earned at least £20,000 for four speaking events – three in February and one in March – which all paid at least £5,000. Walker’s presenting partner Naga Munchetty (right), 47, earned at least £15,000 from four engagements in the first three months of the year
Both engagements – which Robinson carried out on consecutive days – were for the Association of Investment Companies.
Newsnight’s Kirsty Wark, 67, who earned up to £214,999 in 2021, earned at least £6,000 from two engagements.
Dharshini David, 48, who presents business news on Radio 4’s Today programme, also earned up to £6,000.
Samira Ahmed, 53 who presents shows including Front Row on Radio 4, and newsreader Martine Croxall, 53, both also scooped at least £6,000.
Rounding off the top ten list of earners was Today Programme presenter Amol Rajan, who is also the BBC’s Media Editor. The 38-year-old, who earns up to £244,999 earned between £5,000 and £10,000 for an event in March.
Edwards was the only news star in the latest disclosures to have been paid more than £10,000 for one event, the highest pay bracket on the register.
A BBC spokesman previously said: ‘All the events listed were approved prior to being undertaken and meet the BBC’s rigorous editorial guidelines.’
Munchetty, Walker and Rajan also featured on the BBC’s previous external events register, for October to December last year.
Frank Gardner (left) and Nick Robinson (right) both earned at least £10,000 between January and March. Gardner, who is the BBC’s Security Correspondent, carried out engagements in February and March, and for both he was paid between £5,000 and £10,000. Robinson, who presents BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme and is the corporation’s former political editor, earned his money by speaking at two events in March. They both paid between £5,000 and £10,000
Other stars to feature on the previous list include University Challenge presenter and newsreader Clive Myrie, who earned more than £10,000 for hosting Indian firm Tata Consultancy Services last November.
Munchetty was paid £10,000 in November as a moderator for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. She was also paid between £5,000 and £10,000 the same month as a moderator at the Open Data Institute
Today Programme presenter Justin Webb also benefited from outside earnings. He raked in more than £5,000 in the first quarter of last year, whilst in June and July he received at least £6,000 for two events.
The BBC introduced arrangements that require staff to get written permission from a senior figure such as a head of department before undertaking outside public appearances.
A record of the events is now published quarterly.
Other BBC stars who have earned thousands of pounds from outside appearances in previous years include Antiques Roadshow presenter Fiona Bruce, Newsnight anchor Emily Maitlis and BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin.
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