Graham Norton’s pay cut revealed
Graham Norton’s bumper pay packet has been cut after his production company’s revenue and profit fell in 2024, it has been revealed.
The TV presenter took home £2.4m last year, down from the £2.7m he received in 2023.
Graham Norton’s pay is not included in the BBC’s annual star salaries list because he is paid through his production company rather than the corporation itself.
The reduction comes after So Television, which makes The Graham Norton Show, posted a fall in its financial performance for 2024 after The John Bishop Show and Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda did not return for new series last year.
So Television, which was co-founded by presenter Graham Norton, said the decision not to renew the shows resulted in the company’s programming hours falling from 28 to 22.
That drop also resulted its revenue going from £14.5m to £10m and its pre-tax profit reducing from £3.9m to £2.2m, new accounts filed with Companies House show.
In the UK, the firm’s revenue fell from £10.7m to £7.7m and from £3.7m to £2.3m in the rest of the world.
Graham Norton too much for John Bishop
So Television was founded in 1998 by Graham Norton and Graham Stuart.
The business was acquired by ITV Studios for around £17m in August 2012.
As well as making The Graham Norton Show, the company has previously produced Jack Whitehall’s Father’s Day, Blind Date and The Sarah Millican Show.
Speaking earlier this year, John Bishop said his chat show would not be returning because it couldn’t compete with Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross.
The comedian launched the show in January 2022 on ITV and ran for two series.
Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda was a one-off 2024 Netflix stand-up comedy special.
The Graham Norton Show’s main competitor in the UK is ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show which is made by ITV Studios and Hot Sauce TV.
Hot Sauce TV, which is owned by Jonathan Ross, increased its shareholder funds from £378,905 o £693,400 in 2024.