Renowned television personality Graham Norton experienced a significant salary bump of £537,665 (€644,786) last year, taking his remuneration to £2.77 million (€3.32 million) as shown by the latest financial reports. The Graham Norton Show, which is marketed globally to various TV stations, including Virgin Media in Ireland, is sold by So Television, a subsidiary of ITV, and the BBC.
The most recent financial records submitted by So Television Ltd to Companies House reveal a 24 per cent pay increase for Norton, bringing his salary up from £2.23 million to £2.77 million in the past year.
The Graham Norton Show is renowned for its consistent stream of high-profile international guests. The increase in Norton’s pay in 2023, which averaged at £138,707 (€166,362) per episode for the 20 shows he presented, came after a pay cut of £788,530 from So Television in 2022.
His overall earnings, comprising presenter’s fees, production fees, and royalties, saw a significant boost following an impressive surge in So Television’s revenues and profits. A substantial part of So Television’s income, which climbed by £2.76 million or 23 per cent from £11.75 million to £14.5 million last year, can be attributed to The Graham Norton Show.
However, the accounts indicate that despite an increase in distribution channels leading to a slight dip in revenues, the overall income generated from the UK rose slightly to £10.7 million. Simultaneously, revenues from outside the UK saw a drastic rise, tripling from £1.1 million to £3.76 million. These figures were achieved despite a reduction in TV production hours — from 31 in 2022 to 28 in 2023 — following a decrease in one-off shows/pilots since 2022.
Following a 123% growth in operating profits, the company witnessed an increase from £1.1 million to £2.55 million. The firm also gained financial income amounting to £1.37 million, which led to a 145% surge in profits before tax, reaching £3.9 million.
Mr Norton, a well-known entertainer, primarily earns from his TV appearances. After announcing his wish to reclaim his weekends after a 13-year commitment, the Irish host left his weekend show on Virgin Radio UK earlier this year.
In addition to his on-screen popularity, Mr Norton’s fictional works like Holding, Home Stretch, A Keeper, Forever Home, Frankie and The Swimmer have enjoyed considerable success. Since 2016, these acclaimed best-selling books have garnered €7.6 million in sales in Ireland and the UK, as per Nielsen BookData. Despite this impressive figure, only a minor portion of the sales figure is received by the author in royalties. Irish sales have accounted for €3.93 million in revenue.
As of December 2023, the total profits accumulated by So Television stood at £27.8 million.