Claudia Winkleman has sparked fury among BBC staff after sending a round-robin email asking workers – including those facing redundancy – to film themselves dancing just 24 hours after her £369,000 salary was revealed.
- Claudia Winkleman emailed BBC staff asking them to film a dance video
- Email asking people to join ‘Dancing with our staff’ routine was sent to workers facing redundancy
- BBC accounts published yesterday showed Strictly host earns £369,999 salary
The email, which was sent by Winkelman and her Strictly Come Dancing co-host Tess Daly, asked colleagues to take part in the ‘Dancing with our staff’ promotional video.
But it is understood to have ruffled feathers at the corporation after being sent to staff who are facing job uncertainty and redundancies.
The email says it wants to ‘sprinkle some Strictly stardust across the whole of the BBC’ as it invites staff to take part in the dance competition.
Yesterday, BBC accounts revealed Winkleman has become one of the highest paid female presenters at the corporation, earning between £365,000-£369,999 in the past year.
The email from Tess and Claudia says, ‘We’re launching our very own Strictly – Dancing with our staff dance competition.’
It adds the BBC was a ‘constant source of comfort’ throughout the covid pandemic, and ‘there to educate, entertain and inform us’.
It encourages staff to copy a routine by Strictly dancers Oti and Giovanni.
The Guardian’s Jim Waterson said there was a ‘mixed reaction’ surrounding the email.
Several BBC staff responded to Mr Waterson, including Newsnight producer Sam McAlister who replied, ‘Mixed’ with a laughing emoji.
A BBC Scotland producer also responded with a laughing emoji.
The video, which was filmed using the music of Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ song, appears to have been taken down from the BBC website.
Yesterday, the BBC came under fire after it published accounts showing that staff pay had soared 3.5 per cent to £1.5billion this year – while the Corporation pushes ahead with its plans to strip a million over-75s of their free TV licences.
Accounts published at noon showed that Zoe Ball is now the BBC’s highest earner after pocketing a £1million pay rise – knocking Gary Lineker off the top spot.
Last year, Claudia Winkleman and Zoe Ball were jointly the highest-paid female presenters, both on up to £374,999, putting them in eighth place.
In July, the BBC invited staff to apply for voluntary redundancy in an attempt to save £125 million in savings this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The broadcaster has asked its public service staff – not those in its commercial subsidiaries – to make a voluntary redundancy expression of interest.
The BBC suspended plans to cut around 450 jobs in BBC News because of the demands of covering the coronavirus pandemic but the cuts will still take place at a later date.