The rumoured annual salaries of Australia’s top TV presenters have been revealed.
Lisa Wilkinson sits at the top of the list thanks the lucrative contract she signed with Channel 10 after leaving the Nine Network in 2017.
The 60-year-old’s deal with Channel 10 is rumoured to be worth close to $2.3million.
Cha-ching! The rumoured salaries of Australia’s top TV presenters have been revealed, with Lisa Wilkinson leading the pack at $2.3 million a year
The former Today show anchor was offered $1.8million to stay with Nine, but wanted an extra $500,000.
When the network failed to meet her salary expectations, she defected to Channel 10 and joined current affairs show The Project.
While Lisa hasn’t brought blockbuster ratings, TV Blackbox editor Rob McKnight said last year that her pay packet was justified because of her decades of experience and ability to land ‘big-name interviews’.
Prestige: While Lisa hasn’t brought blockbuster ratings to The Project, insiders say her pay packet is warranted because she ‘has respect’ in the industry and lands ‘big-name interviews’
Hot on her heels is Hamish Blake, who is now Channel Nine’s golden boy thanks to the runaway success of Lego Masters.
According to New Idea, the 38-year-old is earning an astonishing $2million per year.
‘He is Nine’s anointed son. From the execs to the publicists to the marketing department, he is universally loved,’ an insider said.
Big bucks! Hamish Blake is reportedly earning an astonishing $2 million per year, with his three-year contract renewed every 18 months
‘He can do no wrong and in return gets an extraordinary ongoing multimillion-dollar contract to keep him away from rival networks,’ they added.
Hamish has been delivering solid ratings for the network this year thanks to the continued success of Lego Masters.
The second season of the family-friendly show premiered to a metro audience of 1.23 million – the highest for any entertainment show of 2020.
Ratings: Hamish has been delivering top ratings for the network this year, thanks to the smash success of Lego Masters
Former The Voice host Sonia Kruger is said to be earning a whopping $1.3million from her new deal with Channel Seven.
The 54-year-old ditched Nine for Seven last year, and is slated to host the upcoming Big Brother reboot.
‘She’s leaving because Channel Seven are prepared to pay far more money than Channel Nine,’ a source told Daily Mail Australia in November.
Superstar: Former The Voice host Sonia Kruger is said to be earning a whopping $1.3 million from her new deal with Channel Seven
Her salary at Seven is said to be a package worth as much as $4 million over three years, or $1.3 million per year.
Sunrise hosts Sam Armytage and David Koch are big earners at Seven, but their salaries were recently slashed by 20 per cent due to the economic impact of the coronavirus.
Prior to the pay cut, Sam was estimated to be on $500,000 annually while Kochie was much higher at $1million.
It’s unclear if Sonia’s salary was included in the pay cuts, as she only signed with the network late last year.
Pay cut: Sunrise’s Samantha Armytage was earning $500,000 annually while David Koch was reportedly on $1 million, but their salaries were recently slashed by 20 per cent due to economic impact of the coronavirus
Seven News boss Craig McPherson told the Sydney Morning Herald’s Private Sydney that the talent took the cuts with ‘great grace and class’.
‘I spoke to all my presenters personally and everyone was very understanding of the situation and handled it with great grace and class,’ Craig said.
In 2017, multiple reports in the media claimed that The Project’s Carrie Bickmore and Waleed Aly were earning $500,000 each annually from Channel 10.
However, their salaries may have increased since those initial reports given their immense popularity.
Tidy sum: In 2017, multiple reports in the media claimed that The Project’s Carrie Bickmore and Waleed Aly were earning $500,000 each annually from Channel 10
Sophie Monk is another big money maker, although her exact salary is unclear.
According to the Courier Mail, the 40-year-old earned around $300,000 to front the third season of The Bachelorette in 2017.
Her pay packet allegedly increased when she went to Channel Nine the following year, with some reports claiming that she may have earned close to ‘$1 million’ to host Love Island Australia.
However, the figure has never been confirmed, and it’s unclear if the million-dollar deal included other work with the network or covered multiple seasons of Love Island Australia.
Million dollar girl? Sophie Monk picked up $300,000 for doing The Bachelorette in 2017, but her pay packet may have climbed as high as $1 million for her role as the Love Island host