Mills, 53, earned between £745,000 and £749,999 for the year ending in March 2026, according to the corporation's latest annual report (see the list of the BBC's highest-paid stars below). He had presented the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show for just over a year, after taking over from Zoe Ball in January 2025. Mills was sacked by the BBC shortly before it emerged that the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into him in 2016 over allegations of serious sexual offences involving a boy aged under 16 between 1997 and 2000. The police investigation was closed in 2019 after prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. Mills' rise to the top of the list came as another departing BBC employee - former England footballer Gary Lineker - left the top 10. Lineker had been the corporation's top-paid star for the last eight years. Mark Chapman, one of the three presenters to replace Lineker on Match Of The Day, alongside Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan, made it into 11th place on the list. Another celebrity out of the top 10 was Zoe Ball, last year's second-highest earner. She previously hosted the Radio 2 breakfast show, before briefly moving to a Saturday afternoon show last year. She has since left the BBC, and will present on Greatest Hits Radio from September. BBC political journalist Laura Kuenssberg was the highest-paid female staff member in the latest report. She was one of four women on the list alongside Naga Munchetty, Fiona Bruce and Sophie Rawoth. That is a slight increase on last year's list, which featured three women. Sara Cox, who moved from the Radio 2 drivetime slot to replace Mills earlier this month, didn't quite make it into the top 15 earners, with a salary band capped at £324,999. Vernon Kay - who hosts Radio 2's most listened-to show according to RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) figures - was joint fourth on the list alongside Kuenssberg. BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James, who is particularly popular with younger audiences, rose two places from last year and is this year's second highest earner. The third-highest paid was Northern Irish Radio 5 Live presenter Stephen Nolan. Top talent pay slashed by half in seven years, BBC says Responding to a question from Sky News on how the BBC can justify paying talent a premium when hundreds of millions of pounds of savings need to be made, deputy director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said there had been "remarkable progress" over presenter pay in recent years. He said talent above the £500,000 threshold had been reduced by 50% across the past seven years, going on: "If you look at all our on-air presenter costs over the last seven years, they've come down by about £20m, so we have been focused on it, there is always a balancing act. "We want to be a broadcaster that can attract the best talent, but we're also very mindful of the financial pressures that we're facing. I think we're striking that balance very, very carefully, and I think you'll see that downward trend continuing in the months to come." The BBC is required to declare a list of salaries paid to people both on air and off air who receive more than £178,000 from licence fee revenue in the year. However, the list does not include people who are paid through independent production companies or the BBC's commercial arm, BBC Studios. A string of 'errors' affecting public confidence BBC Chair Samir Shah addressed recent "broadcasting errors" at the corporation, including at Glastonbury Festival and the BAFTA film awards, saying they "affect confidence in our journalism, trust in the BBC as a public institution, and perceptions about how effectively we are held to account". In February, a racial slur was broadcast after Tourette's campaigner John Davidson shouted at Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo as they presented the BAFTA award for special visual effects. An involuntary verbal tic, the slur was not cut from the live broadcast, which was on a two-hour delay, and remained on iPlayer for over 12 hours. It came after a previous incident, which saw the BBC face criticism for continuing to livestream the performance of punk duo Bob Vylan as they led chants of "death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" at last year's Glastonbury Festival. There was also a breach of BBC editorial guidelines after the documentary Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone failed to disclose information about the child narrator's father's position within the Hamas-run government. The BBC is also currently embroiled in a multi-billion-pound lawsuit with US President Donald Trump over the editing of an episode of BBC documentary series Panorama, broadcast in 2024. Referencing the various errors, Mr Shah said: "I am confident that the changes we have now introduced will ensure that swift, appropriate and transparent action is taken to address editorial issues as effectively as possible, whenever they occur." Read more: Who is Matt Brittin? BBC boss: 'This is a moment of real jeopardy' The report also showed that BBC TV licences have dropped by more than half a million in a single year. While 94% of adults use BBC services per month, fewer than 80% of households pay the licence fee. Highlighting the challenges this presents to the corporation, it said the BBC would need to reform its funding model in order to sustain its public service mission going forward. Speaking to journalists as the report was released, the BBC's new director-general Matt Brittin said it was "a moment of real jeopardy" both for the BBC and the UK as a whole," going on to say it was also "an opportunity". The former Google executive, who stepped into the role in May, concluded: "Reinventing the BBC to adapt to this fast-changing world is our duty and our challenge". The BBC is facing huge cutbacks, with hundreds of jobs to be axed and many TV and radio programmes under review, as part of a major downsizing. The month after he stepped into the role, Mr Brittin told employees that £160m of staff and non-staff cost savings would be made from across BBC News and TV and radio teams by the end of the financial year. The huge savings plan was first announced in April, with up to 2,000 jobs to go in total - the corporation's biggest downsizing in almost 15 years.

The government's Music In Libraries initiative will be co-designed by the British singer's charity, The Ed Sheeran Foundation, with input from teachers, youth clubs and industry experts, to help young people gain free access to mentorship and education. More than 150 library authorities will be able to apply for funding to create free studio spaces with recording booths, mixing desks and other equipment, and to offer live performance opportunities, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said in a statement. Funding will come through the government's Dormant Assets Scheme, which allocates unclaimed money from financial products to be used for public good. The libraries programme came about following a visit by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Sheeran to Brighten The Corners, a not-for-profit live music and youth arts organisation in Ipswich, in 2024, the DCMS said. It is part of a wider music plan backing grassroots projects, with the culture secretary saying that "pop is getting posher, and that must change". She continued: "Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. After a decade of mindless vandalism that stripped culture and creativity from too many classrooms and communities, we are putting music back at the heart of education, investing in creative careers and backing grassroots music across the country." Music "belongs to everyone, not just the privileged few", she added. Dr Renuka Fernando, chief executive of the Ed Sheeran Foundation, said the Music In Libraries programme was an "important step forward" for music education. "By expanding access to music beyond the classroom, our library network can help ensure that children and young people from communities across England have the opportunity to engage with music, regardless of where they live," she added. Read more from Sky News entertainment:Sam Fender and Olivia Dean overtake Wet Wet Wet in charts runWhat does Sky's £1.6bn deal with ITV mean for viewers? It comes after Sheeran wrote an open letter to Sir Keir Starmer in March last year, supported by stars including Harry Styles and Stormzy, calling for the action from the government to "save music education". In November, the government announced the first major change to the music curriculum in more than 10 years, to broaden the appeal of music education and boost creative subjects.

The states argued cinemas and moviegoers could face higher prices if the merger goes ahead, as Paramount and Warner Bros. currently compete for the best release dates and screens at thousands of cinemas across the US. The lawsuit represents a significant obstacle for the deal, which is seen as one of the biggest media mergers in history. "After this merger, for every dollar generated by wide-release theatrical films and basic cable channels in ‌this country, the combined company will pocket more than a quarter," the states said in the lawsuit. They added: "This merger, in short, would create a media behemoth." Paramount said the lawsuit distorts settled antitrust law and is based on a misrepresentation of competition in the entertainment industry. The deal was cleared by US federal antitrust watchdogs last month, with critics saying Paramount's political connections helped the positive outcome. Paramount CEO David Ellison's father, billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, has cultivated ties with Republican President Donald Trump. All the state attorneys general involved in Monday's lawsuit are Democrats. The deal was cleared by the Department of Justice last month as it said it would benefit workers and consumers. But Hollywood workers have criticised the deal, fearing it would hurt jobs, while cinema owners opposed it, worrying ‌it would result in fewer films. Read more from Sky News:Florida airport renamed after Donald TrumpDid FIFA bend the rules for Trump? If allowed to move forward with the deal, Paramount would control 27% of the distribution market for films that appear on screens across America, 30% of blockbuster film distribution and 27% of the market for basic cable channels, the states said. Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington joined the lawsuit alongside California.

The Northern Ireland-born New Zealand actor was best known for his leading roles in the blockbuster dinosaur franchise and The Piano, and appeared in more than 50 films over his career. The family of the screen star, who was one of New Zealand's most successful Hollywood exports, said his death had been "sudden and unexpected" in a statement on Monday. Neill was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in 2022. After his cancer diagnosis, Neill said he would take a short break from acting and had announced he was cancer-free earlier this year. His family said he died on Monday in Sydney, Australia, but did not specify the cause of death. "Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life," they said. "The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free." Neill was regarded as a versatile actor, who had traversed blockbuster and arthouse films throughout his career. His range saw him dodge velociraptors in Jurassic Park, chop off actress Holly Hunter's finger in The Piano, and gouge out his eyes in the sci-fi film Event Horizon in his on-screen roles. 'One of the greats' Tributes flooded in for Neill from around the world, from Hollywood directors to prime ministers. Colin Trevorrow, who directed Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, remembered the actor as a "deeply soulful and beautiful man". "He was a friend and collaborator at a challenging time, and his strength gave us all strength," he said. He added: "It's not every lifetime you get to befriend a legend." New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described Neill as "one of the greats". "He started out when there was barely a film industry in this country to speak of," he said. "For more than fifty years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our film industry into what it is today - one of our greatest cultural exports. "His work will be watched and loved long after all of us." In a post on X, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "Sam Neill starred in so many beloved Australian stories and he earned a special place in Australian hearts. "Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance. He will be much mourned and long remembered." Australian actor David Wenham said: "Aside from being an international all-round legend. Sam was the kindest, cheekiest, most generous and supportive friend going around." Author Kathy Lette remembered Neill as a "wonderful actor but also the most charming, kind, intelligent and deliciously self-deprecating friend". Australian comedian Magda Szubanski said: "An exceptional man - talented, kind, classy, wryly hilarious and loving. Proud cancer survivor. My heart goes out to all Sam's family and friends." From Omagh to Hollywood Neill was born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Omagh, but moved to New Zealand aged seven when his father retired from the army. At the age of 11, he changed his name to Sam. In his 2023 memoir, he said "to land in a primary school with a plum in the voice and Nigel for a name was asking for trouble". He described himself as a nerdy, unsporty and stuttering boy, but took his first steps into acting through school plays. His big break came with the low-budget 1977 New Zealand film Sleeping Dogs, which led to bigger roles in neighbouring Australia. Neill was one of a host of actors and directors who achieved international fame after an explosion of Australian films that began in the late 1970s. These included Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, Jane Campion, Peter Weir and Gillian Armstrong. He first came to the attention of international audiences in Armstrong's 1979 film My Brilliant Career. Neill later appeared in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm, also starring a then-relatively unknown Nicole Kidman. He twice co-starred with Meryl Streep in Australian director Fred Schepisi films Plenty and A Cry in the Dark, based on the true story of a dingo killing a baby in the Australian Outback. He missed out on a chance at mega-stardom in the mid-1980s when he did a screen test for the role of James Bond but did not land the role. He would later achieve blockbuster fame in Steven Spielberg's 1993 hit Jurassic Park, as palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant. Younger audiences will remember Neill for his portrayal of ruthless chief inspector Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders. Read more from Sky News:'Nothing to suggest' Ann Widdecombe murder politicalAntiques Roadshow star Theo Burrell dies aged 39 In 2022, Neill accepted ​a knighthood for outstanding contribution to film. Neill, who was married twice, divided his later years between Australia and his vineyard in New Zealand's Central Otago, which produced Pinot Noir under the label Two Paddocks. He is survived by his two sons and two daughters.

The tentative three-year agreement between Equity and SOLT is over pay and working conditions for performers and stage management in London's West End. It follows research last year which showed that while UK theatre was booming, with record audiences in 2025, over a third of organisations were still expecting to operate at a deficit this year. It had been a particularly impressive year for the West End, which welcomed a record-breaking 17.64 million people - almost three million more than Broadway. An indicative ballot of Equity members earlier this year saw a whopping 98% support for potential strikes, risking a summer of "dark" theatres, at a time when many families plan visits to the West End. The agreement runs from April 2026 to April 2029 and includes increases to minimum rates, improved holiday and family leave provisions, and more flexible working arrangements for producers and managers. Specifically, it provides an increase of at least 13.5% to minimum rates over the three years. Speaking about the offer, Claire Walker, co-chief executive of the Society of London Theatre, said: "Our objective throughout these negotiations has been to secure a fair, sustainable, and long-term agreement which recognises the contribution of performers and stage management, while giving producers the certainty and flexibility they need. "This three-year settlement delivers that balance. It provides meaningful improvements to pay and conditions, supports work-life balance, and establishes a clear framework for the West End through to 2029." The proposed agreement will now be put to around 3,000 Equity members in an online ballot, with Equity recommending acceptance. It will take effect by the end of the month if ratified. Those who are eligible to vote include performers and stage management currently working on the West End and also those who have worked on the West End in the past three years - the time the agreement was last negotiated.