Graham's still rolling in the dough

Companies House accounts for Norton's production firm So Television reveal he earned £2.15 million (Dh12.74 million) in "presenter and production fees and royalties" for the 12 months to August last year.

This compares with the £1.54 million he was paid in such fees for the same period in 2009-10.

He received a further £400,000 dividend from the company, which makes programmes including his BBC1 series The Graham Norton Show, taking his total earnings to £2.55 million — compared with around £2 million he received for the year to July 31, 2010.

A senior BBC source insisted that any increase in pay from the corporation was because The Graham Norton Show had been moved to a coveted Friday night slot in autumn 2010, with a longer series run of 20 episodes. It was previously shown on Monday nights on BBC1, and prior to that on Thursdays on BBC2, with a run of up to 13 episodes. Norton also presents a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2.

He agreed to take a pay cut when he renewed his deal with the BBC in October last year and it was estimated that his annual pay was £2 million. He said in a recent interview: "Will I take a pay cut? Absolutely. The cutbacks at the BBC are across the board, which is how it should be."