Privately-educated staff at ‘elitist’ BBC occupy a third of best-paid positions

PRIVATELY-educated BBC staff occupy a third of its best-paid jobs — sparking accusations of elitism. 

The number on £150,000 or more almost doubled from 37 to 68 in the past two years, the corporation’s figures show.

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Yet former fee-paying school pupils make up just ten per cent of staff earning less than £30,000.

One in four £80,000-plus journalism jobs are taken by the privately educated, who make up only 15 per cent of  newsroom staff.

BBC boss Tim Davie, on £525,000, went to £43,000-a-year Whitgift School,  South London, on a full scholarship. 

Chief content officer Charlotte Moore — on £442,000 — was at Wycombe Abbey girls’ school, Bucks, with its £51,000 -a-year boarders.

Political editor Laura Kuenssberg was also privately educated.

Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility at the Exeter University, said: “It’s scandalous the BBC, set up to serve all parts of British society, excludes socio-economic background from much of its diversity work.”

An Ofcom review previously said lower-income audiences felt presenters’ high  salaries made the BBC out of touch with ordinary people.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We want the BBC to be for everyone and latest figures show that 21% of staff are from working class backgrounds.

“Apprenticeships have reached record levels in the last year and we will continue to invest in talent schemes and youth outreach projects to further increase our socio-economic diversity”.