Norton given £500k pay cut

Graham Norton will stay at the BBC, but his salary loweredÂ…

12:28 25 September 2009

Popular TV presenter Graham Norton will stay at the BBC, it has been revealed. However his new contract sees him take a £500,000 pay cut.

The star has agreed to three shows next year - even though his current three-year contract is up at the end of 2009.

Norton's current £2.5million yearly pay will fall to around £2million as part of the BBC's cost cutting scheme.

The star had previously admitted that he would "absolutely" agree to a cut if it meant he could stay with the broadcaster, wishing to host the Eurovision Song Contest and the Bafta TV awards.

Norton is also lined up to front Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Wizard of Oz' musical reality show, the follow-up to last year's hunt for stars for 'Oliver!'.

Plans to continue his chatshow on BBC1 are yet to be finalised. There were reports that Channel 4 were to offer him Paul O'Grady's teatime chatshow slot if the 'Lily Savage' star moved to Sky when his own contract expired.