Clive Myrie apologises after failing to declare at least £65,000 outside BBC earnings
IndependentNOV 27 2024
BBC's Clive Myrie Failed to Declare £145K+ in Outside Earnings
Above: Clive Myrie during the 'Mastermind' Sketch to be shown during the Red Nose Day 2024. Image copyright: Daniel Loveday/Comic Relief via Getty Images
The Facts
BBC presenter Clive Myrie has apologized for failing to declare between £145K-£255K in external earnings, with retrospective declarations dating back to March 2021.
The 60-year-old newsreader, who earns a BBC salary of £310K, plus additional compensation for hosting Mastermind, received more than £10K for five events and between £5K and £10K for eighteen other engagements.
Myrie's undeclared work included roles as moderator, host, speaker, and panel chair for organizations such as American Express, the Football Association, and the National Residential Landlords Association.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Clive Myrie’s failure to declare external earnings was a mistake, and he has taken accountability by apologizing for the administrative oversights. He’s not alone in making retrospective declarations — with other BBC presenters also involved — while the BBC has committed to clarifying its expenses policy. Myrie has committed to halting further paid external engagements and has worked to correct the record.
Establishment-critical narrative
Myrie’s actions expose serious issues with transparency and BBC governance. Despite earning a substantial salary, his repeated mishandling of external earnings and unconvincing excuse of “administrative issues,” coupled with the lack of meaningful consequences, reflect poorly on the organization’s governance standards. Failing to disclose significant external payments all while having a lofty salary propped up by the license fee payer is yet another example of gross BBC misconduct.