Stephen Nolan in top 10 highest paid BBC stars

Nolan is one 96 of stars just named by the BBC in its annual report, who earn more than £150,000 annually.

The Belfast-born broadcater earns around the same amount of money as football pundit Alan Shearer and TV host Andrew Marr, and more than other top personalities such as BBC News presenter Fiona Bruce and Radio One breakfast show host Nick Grimshaw.

It is the first time the information has been made public.

Nolan presents a number of radio and TV programmes for the BBC.

He presents The Nolan Show Monday to Friday on BBC Radio Ulster, a programme on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings for BBC 5 live and Question Time: Extra Time on Thursday evenings, as well as hosting the TV programme, Nolan Live, on BBC One Northern Ireland several times a year.

It is understood the salaries he receives for his separate presenting roles within the BBC have been amalgamated.

When asked by a listener on his radio show this morning whether his name would appear on the list of highest earners, Nolan said: “At 11am today the BBC will publish a list of those presenters who earn more than £150,000 or more, and I intend to do an interview on the Nolan Show tomorrow morning, where I will be interviewed by someone else and the rest of you (listeneners) can phone in and I will be accountable to all of you.”