Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 breakfast show lost almost half a million listeners in the past year, during which he was the corporation’s highest earner.
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show pulled in 9.01 million listeners a week in the second quarter of 2017, compared to 9.47 million in the same time period in 2016 and 9.38 million in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest figures released by audience research body Rajar.
He made between £2.2m and £2.25m in 2016/2017.
Lewis Carnie, head of Radio 2, told the Press Association: “Chris Evans remains hugely popular with the Radio 2 audience.
“His Breakfast Show attracts more than nine million listeners every week and remains the nation’s favourite radio programme.”
Elsewhere, Nick Grimshaw’s breakfast show on BBC Radio 1 added more than 350,000 listeners in the last quarter, drawing in 5.5 million weekly listeners in the second quarter, compared to 5.14 million in the first.
The station as a whole added nearly half a million listeners between April 3 and July 25, drawing 9.6 million people compared to 9.1 million last quarter.
BBC Radio 4’s Today programme also saw a surge in listeners, with the news show pulling in 7.66 million a week in the second quarter, compared to 7.13 million in the first three months of the year and 7.34 million in the second quarter of 2016.
Bob Shennan, director of BBC radio and music, said: “These figures are fantastic news for radio, illustrating its enduring appeal in a crowded digital marketplace.
“Radio 4 remains as vital as ever as it approaches its 50th anniversary. Its success highlights the importance of first-class, trusted news in turbulent times, but also the strength the station has across its schedule with a unique mix of programmes.
“Hats off to all at Radio 1. Their half a million gain is a real boost and owes much to the hard work all the teams have put in to making the listening experience better than ever.”
