Inside Zoe Ball’s £1.5 million mansion after £1m BBC pay packet unveiled

Radio 2’s Zoe Ball has splashed the cash on a new £1.5 million home after it was announced this week she’s set to become the BBC’s top earner.

According to the latest reports, Zoe’s pay has soared from £370,000 to £1.36million this year.

After her whopping salary was revealed in full for the first time, the radio presenter, 49, and her partner Michael Reed have decided to spend some of the star’s hard earned dough on a mansion in Sussex.

The BBC Radio 2 and Strictly It Takes Two presenter will take over from former top earner Gary Lineker.

It has now been reported that Zoe has purchased an enormous home in the popular country town of Lewes, Sussex – just 18 minutes from her old pad.

Zoe and partner Michael have upgraded from their £1 million cottage in Ditchling, East Sussex, to a mansion fit for a queen only eight miles down the road.

Their swanky new abode comes complete with all the bells and whistles, including a swimming pool with a diving board, acres of land and even a tennis court.

The £1.5 million property boasts period charm, outbuildings, gorgeous views across the Sussex countryside and even a vegetable patch.

The impressive house was built by a Russian aristocrat Baron Vladimir de Wolff in the 1920s, and will make for the perfect home for Zoe, Micheal and her children Woody and Nelly to enjoy.

Zoe took to her social media channels last month to thank a removals company for their help as the family moved into their new home.

She wrote: “Major love for this hilarious hardworking crew for moving us today. Simon & @smoothmoverremovals you guys rock.”

She hinted to her fans she has an even “bigger veg patch” than before as she gushed overhear new country abode.

“Thanks to my mama, glo glo, em & Curly Sue #topteam #thingsyoufind #underbeds #escapetothecountry #biggervegpatch #pottingshed”

Zoe’s salary is now nine times that of the Prime Minister’s, and it seems she’s had no trouble figuring out what to splash her cash on.

Her salary reveal comes just one month after reports that she’d lost a million listeners on her Radio 2 Breakfast Show.

She pulled in 8.2million listeners every week in the final quarter of 2019, compared to the 9.1million Chris Evans brought in before he left in 2018.

Despite the drop, the BBC Annual Report revealed that Zoe’s pay has soared from £370,000 last year to a minimum of £1.36million.

The BBC came under fire after reports showed that many of its female stars were paid less than their male counterparts.

It saw several threaten to quit.

While the top earners are still mostly male, four of the top 10 are now female, and they’ve all been given pay rises.

Following backlash over the gender pay gap, the BBC Radio 2 and Strictly It Takes Two presenter will take over from former top earner Gary Lineker when it comes to BBC staff pay packets.

Match Of The Day host Lineker was the BBC’s top earner during the 2019/2020 tax year with a salary of £1.75 million, compared to Zoe’s £1.36 million.

But after Gary agreed to take a 23% pay cut when he signed a new five year deal with the Beeb, Zoe is expected to take over from him as the top earner.