ZOE Ball remains the highest paid female BBC star, despite taking a pay cut.

The radio presenter, who resides in Sussex, earned between £1.13 million and £1,134,999 in 2020/21.

According to the annual report shared by the BBC, the Radio 2 presenter’s wage dropped by around £230,000 when compared with her 2019/20 salary.

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Match of the Day host Gary Lineker topped this year's salary charts earning around £1.36 million.

Mr Lineker last year agreed to give up around £400,000 of his £1.75 million pay as part of a new five-year deal – a move that would have made Ms Ball the BBC’s highest-paid star.

However, the DJ is reported to have asked for a pay cut when agreeing a new two-year deal as Radio 2's breakfast host because she felt “uncomfortable” about a £1 million pay rise.

The rest of this year's top five highest earners is made up of Steve Wright (£465,000), Huw Edwards (£435,000) and Fiona Bruce (£405,000).

Ms Ball’s 2020/21 salary is more than three times higher than her 2018/19 salary of £370,000.

In January 2019, the 50-year-old took over from Chris Evans as host of Radio 2’s Breakfast Show.

The total number of staff at the BBC with salaries above £150,000 has gone down from 76 in 2019/20 to 72 in 2020/21.

Graham Norton is the only person to drop out of the top 10 having left his Radio 2 Saturday show for Virgin Radio in December last year. Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, who is listed with a salary of £375,000-£379,999, is the only new name in the top 10.

Ms Ball has been in broadcasting since 1993 and was a host on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast then BBC’s Live And Kicking during the 1990s.

She appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 and finished third and in 2011 became the presenter of the daily show It Takes Two.

In May this year, Ball announced she was leaving the role.

Ms Ball, the former partner of Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) also features on Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox alongside her son Woody.