Gary Lineker receives a TV Licence fee payment demand letter every month – despite being one of the BBC’s highest-paid stars.
The ‘Match of the Day’ presenter – who earned between £1.75 million and £1.76 million from the corporation in 2017-2018, according to the BBC’s annual report last year – keeps being accused of not paying his licence fee, despite ringing up to explain the situation about his mega home.
He said: "I get a letter every month because they’ve still got it in their books as four apartments.
"So I get a letter for each, ‘You’ve not paid your licence fee, we are going to come round and bang on your door.’ "
While he has tried to explain who he is and that he does pay the fee – which is priced at £154.50 for a colour and £52 for a black and white TV Licence – the retired footballer-turned-TV presenter has had officials knocking on his door asking for payments.
He is quoted by The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre TV column as saying: "And every time I get these letters, I’ve called them, loads of times, and said: ‘No, this is the circumstances, it’s all changed, just check, it’s fine, it’s me. Do you think I’m not going to pay my licence fee?’
"I’ve had them knocking on the door."
In 2016, Gary admitted he would make the licence fee optional, if it was down to him.
He tweeted: "If it was down to me, the licence fee to get BBC would be optional. But it’s not. (sic)"
And his view was supported by TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive John O’Connell.
He said at the time: "The licence fee is clearly a relic of the past.
"With hard-pressed families struggling with ever-rising bills, the licence fee is yet another burden which should be drastically reformed to allow consumers the freedom to pay for only what they want to watch."
Gary Lineker receives monthly TV Licence fee payment demands
