BBC shock jock Stephen Nolan remains corporation's fifth highest paid presenter on £450,000 - a year after apologising for 'sharing explicit images of shamed reality star Stephen Bear'
The BBC's Stephen Nolan remains the corporation's fifth highest paid presenter, a year after he apologised over allegedly sharing explicit images of Stephen Bear.
According to the annual report published today, Nolan was paid between £405,000 and £409,999 directly from the licence fee in the past year - the same amount as news presenter Fiona Bruce.
Nolan's wages - paid for presenting on BBC Radio Ulster, 5 Live and Nolan Live on BBC Northern Ireland - do not include what he earns for other programmes made for the BBC by his independent production company.
Last year, the 50-year-old said he was 'deeply sorry' following claims he shared a sexually explicit photograph with staff.
He allegedly sent the image of reality TV star Stephen Bear's penis to colleagues in 2016 while he was trying to get them to book the disgraced celebrity as a guest on his TV show, Nolan Live.
Bear, a former Celebrity Big Brother winner, was jailed for 21 months after being convicted of revenge porn and voyeurism.
BBC's Stephen Nolan remains the corporation's fifth highest paid presenter on £450,000, a year after he apologised over lewd sexual messages
When he eventually appeared on the show, both Bear and Nolan stripped to their underpants
Speaking at the time, Nolan - often referred to as one of the broadcaster's 'biggest beasts' - said on Radio Ulster: 'We have had days, as you probably know, of headlines about me and the Nolan team in the papers this week.
'I am not ignoring the story. It is just that the BBC has processes in place to deal with staff complaints and I do need to totally respect those processes.
'They have got to be confidential for them to work. I can say one thing though and it is that I am sorry. There was a photograph, it was widely available on the internet and I was talking to a long-term friend and peer outside of work. I am deeply sorry.'
Bear had just won Celebrity Big Brother at the time Nolan allegedly sent the photo in 2016.
Texts and documents leaked to the Irish News revealed Nolan had said: 'I want Bear!', adding in another: 'If I don't get Bear tomorrow night I'm sending more Bear photos.'
When he eventually appeared, both he and Nolan stripped to their underpants during a segment on modelling.
The newspaper report said that a former member of staff had made a claim of bullying and harassment against Nolan which was not upheld, and that messages between team members on programmes associated with the star presenter included abusive remarks about politicians.
Texts and documents leaked to the Irish News revealed Nolan had said: 'I want Bear!', adding in another: 'If I don't get Bear tomorrow night I'm sending more Bear photos'
Stephen Bear at Chelmsford Crown Court after he was found guilty of voyeurism and two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs or films
In light of the allegations, those who previously worked with the BBC star came forward claiming the Northern Irish presenter was a divisive figure, known as much for his loyalty and generosity as he was for overstepping the mark.
'The issue is that he doesn't know where to draw the line,' one source told the Times. 'He is one of the biggest beasts on the BBC in Northern Ireland and has become a bit of a law unto himself because he is so powerful.'
Another former staffer said that they held 'conflicted' views about the presenter, adding that Nolan was a 'bit of an enigma'.
The ex-employee said that while Nolan had helped the BBC successfully 'communicate with working-class audiences' that it often struggles to meet, the presenter has a 'monstrous ego' and is surrounded by 'a group of yes men'.
Others, however, praised Nolan's good character, citing the time when he paid for his whole team's Christmas party even though he could not attend due to his fame.
The year before, he was thrown into a transphobia row after his podcast Nolan Investigates: Stonewall when he received a string of nominations at the annual Audio and Radio Industry Awards (Arias).
Coming in third place is Huw Edwards, who was paid more than £475,000 by the BBC last year before he resigned and left the corporation following the explicit photos furore
His podcast was widely praised and some suggested it may have played a role government's decision to distance itself from the charity in 2021 over its allegedly 'extremist stance' on trans issues and hostility to gender-critical opinions.
But a group of radio producers threatened to boycott the awards ceremony claiming the podcast contributed to 'a harmful moral panic surrounding trans people' and 'perpetuates a narrative that creating a safe world for trans people is a divisive issue.
Nolan joined BBC Radio Ulster back in 2003 and quickly rose to prominence within the corporation nabbing countless radio awards, including being named the Royal Television Society's Presenter of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
Nolan has used his success to boost his salary. Speaking candidly about his pay package previously in 2017, he said: 'I am fair game for scrutiny and fair game for conversation.'
He added: 'I want to work as much as I can, I want to be the best I can be and I want to earn as much as I can.'
In the BBC's report of 2023-24 pay figures which was released today, it listed Nolan remains the fifth highest paid on a salary of £405,000-£409,99.
Coming in third place is Huw Edwards, who was paid more than £475,000 by the BBC last year before he resigned and left the corporation following the explicit photos furore.
His resignation in April followed allegations that he paid a young person for sexually explicit pictures.
The veteran newsreader was paid between £475,000 and £479,999 for the year 2023/24 for 160 presenting days, BBC One news specials, election specials and other television programming, according to the BBC's annual report.
This marked an increase from 2022/23, when he was paid between £435,000 and 439,999 for 180 days presenting on BBC One, as well as news specials.
Edwards was absent from screens from when the story first broke in July 2023 until his exit in April 2024.
He remained on the payroll while suspended, which is normal BBC policy, and was suffering from serious mental health issues and received in-patient hospital care.
