BBC earnings announced: The seven presenters earning over half a million are all men

The corporation's highest paid male presenters earn up to four times the highest female earner

The BBC's newly published annual salary report shows that the seven presenters earning over half a million pounds a year are all men, sparking outrage on social media.

The corporation's top earner is radio presenter Chris Evans who earns between £2.2m and £2.25m - more than four times the channel's highest earning woman Claudia Winkleman (between £450,00 and £499,000).

Gary Lineker is the organisation's second highest earner with takings of between £1.75m and £1,799,999.

The five other stars earning salaries of more than half a million are chat show host Graham Norton (£850,000-£899,999), radio presenter Jeremy Vine (£850,000-£899,999), Today host John Humphrys (£850,000-£899,999), BBC News' Huw Edwards (£550-£599,999) and long-time Radio 2 fixture Steve Wright (£500,000-£549,999).

It should be noted that, while third on the overall list, Norton is likely to be earning more as his BBC One series The Graham Norton Show is made by an independent production company meaning his full salary is not disclosed. The reported figures are for his BBC radio show.

The BBC has foreseen allegations of sexism stating it wants to address a gender imbalance that saw women making up only a third of those in the channel's high-earning 1250,000-plus pay bracket.

The second highest female star was One Show presenter Alex Jones, who earned between £400,000 and £449,999 - less than her co-presenter Matt Baker who was paid £450,000-£499,999.