By Paul Robinson
LARGER-than-life Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles is sitting pretty on a pay packet that's almost as big as his legendary mouth, it was revealed today.
Leeds-born Moyles is reportedly raking in a whopping £630,000-a-year for hosting the sta
tion's flagship breakfast show.
That means the former Mount St Mary's RC High School pupil pockets £15 for every MINUTE he is on the air.
But BBC insiders are adamant he is worth every penny of the megabucks deal which has made him far and away Radio 1's top earner.
One said today: "Some people might be surprised at how much he's getting but he is a massive talent.
"If we weren't paying him it, there's always the danger that someone else would!"
Moyles's salary dwarfs that of Jo Whiley, Radio 1's second biggest earner. She is thought to get £250,000 per annum.
Sara Cox is said to be on about £200,000 a year, Edith Bowman close to £175,000 a year, and Zane Lowe around £130,000 a year.
Those sort of figures would have been the stuff of dreams for Moyles when he embarked on his broadcasting career aged 14 as a Saturday afternoon DJ at Top Shop in Leeds.
He went on to work for Radio Aire and then had stints on Radio Luxembourg and London's Capital FM before joining Radio 1 in 1997. Since taking over its prestigious 7am to 10am slot two years ago, he has built up a devoted army of more than six million listeners a day.
But his no-nonsense style has landed him in hot water on more than one occasion, most recently when he swore at a caller during a phone-in.
And last month the star - who grew up in Temple Newsam – was branded "coarse" and "offensive" by Noel Edmonds, his best-known predecessor on the breakfast show.
paul.robinsons@ypn.co.uk
