Perdita
06-01-2010, 10:00
GRAHAM Norton has finally sealed his new BBC deal, which will see him stay tied exclusively to the broadcaster until 2012, TV Biz can reveal.
The camp comedian has agreed a £500,000 annual pay cut and accepted a £4million two-year deal.
He was previously on £2.5million a year.
Irishman Graham's "golden handcuffs" contract began on New Year's Day. He will front a variety of programmes including his BBC1 chat show.
He will also host the TV Bafta awards coverage, Eurovision and Over The Rainbow - Andrew Lloyd Webber's hunt for a Dorothy to star in musical The Wizard Of Oz.
The deal will be a relief for the Beeb - who wanted to hold on to Graham, 46, exclusively.
Bosses feared by cutting his salary he would insist on being able to make shows for other channels.
Sky1 and Channel 4 had been sniffing around.
Now BBC execs will return their attention to Jonathan Ross, who has been in negotiations.
Wossy, 49, has offered to take a 50 per cent pay cut to £3million a year but BBC director general Mark Thompson wants to shave off even more.
Sources say he is even considering DUMPING the floppy-haired star.
One said: "There is a feeling that the BBC may be better off by just getting rid of him."
Watch this space.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2795969/BBC-sign-Graham-Norton-exclusively-until-2012.html
Way too much money for a tv presenter imo
The camp comedian has agreed a £500,000 annual pay cut and accepted a £4million two-year deal.
He was previously on £2.5million a year.
Irishman Graham's "golden handcuffs" contract began on New Year's Day. He will front a variety of programmes including his BBC1 chat show.
He will also host the TV Bafta awards coverage, Eurovision and Over The Rainbow - Andrew Lloyd Webber's hunt for a Dorothy to star in musical The Wizard Of Oz.
The deal will be a relief for the Beeb - who wanted to hold on to Graham, 46, exclusively.
Bosses feared by cutting his salary he would insist on being able to make shows for other channels.
Sky1 and Channel 4 had been sniffing around.
Now BBC execs will return their attention to Jonathan Ross, who has been in negotiations.
Wossy, 49, has offered to take a 50 per cent pay cut to £3million a year but BBC director general Mark Thompson wants to shave off even more.
Sources say he is even considering DUMPING the floppy-haired star.
One said: "There is a feeling that the BBC may be better off by just getting rid of him."
Watch this space.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2795969/BBC-sign-Graham-Norton-exclusively-until-2012.html
Way too much money for a tv presenter imo