BBC Blasted for paying June Sarpong £1,700 per day salary but forgiven for Gary Lineker
THE BBC is facing a backlash after it was revealed in an annual BBC report that part-time diversity tsar June Sarpong is paid such a high salary, claiming she earns more per day than the head of the BBC corporation, Director General, Tim Davie.
June, a former TV presenter is paid £267,000 a year for working three days a week which is equivalent to around £1,700 per day, according to the annual BBC report. If Ms Sarpong worked the job full-time, on the same salary, she would earn around £445,000 a year.
In comparison, director-general Tim Davie earns £429,000, or around £1,650 a day.
By doing the job part-time, June Sarpong can also make a healthy income from book deals, corporate speaking events and her role as a diversity ambassador on the board of fashion firm Burberry.
Following the report, the BBC came under fire for the staggering amount of money paid to the part-time diversity champion.
Meanwhile, Gary Linkers astronomical fee for appearances on sports shows, was defended by the public and argued to be valuable for the BBC.
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said: "How can anyone be worth paying £267,000 for working three days a week?
"Once again the BBC has scored an own goal.
"There must be thousands of perfectly qualified people who would do this job for less."
Former MEP Rupert Lowe added: "The BBC should be there to inform, educate and entertain.
"Not to influence, terrify and manipulate."
Tory MP Tom Hunt said: "This is an outrageous salary which dwarfs what the Prime Minister gets.
"I just cannot see how £267,000 for a three-day week can be justified."
Others took to Twitter to express anger at the corporation and called for the BBC to be defunded.
One person shared several articles and tweets from Ms Sarpong and wrote: "The BBC wonder why they are seen as out of touch when they continue to hire people to overpaid trumped-up positions who not only have a history of condescending to the public but also have been put in that position to push wedges between segments of society."
Meanwhile, Gary Linkers astronomical fee for appearances on sports shows, was defended by the public and argued to be valuable for the BBC.