For the world’s most famous TV hosts, the money has never been better. From late-night comedians to fiery sports pundits and celebrity chefs, these on-screen spokespeople take home bigger paycheques than the President of the United States.
Read on to meet the 25 highest-paid TV hosts, based on the latest Forbes earnings data, and find out how they've earned a fortune this year.
All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Kicking off the ranking is veteran late-night host Stephen Colbert, whose estimated salary of $15 million (£11.4m) is the lowest figure on the list. Colbert first shot to fame with The Colbert Report before inheriting The Late Show mantle from David Letterman in 2015, a daunting task that has borne fruit for the comedian.
Under his leadership, The Late Show enjoyed years of strong ratings and critical acclaim, even earning Colbert his first Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series in 2025. However, CBS recently confirmed the show will end in May 2026, citing steep production costs. It marks the end of an era for Colbert, but few expect he'll stay off our screens for long.
Next up is late-night mainstay Jimmy Kimmel, who earns around $16 million (£12.1m) a year hosting ABC’s flagship Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
But 2025 hasn’t been without turbulence. Earlier this year, Kimmel found himself at the centre of a political firestorm after making controversial comments about the assassination of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk. The backlash prompted ABC to temporarily suspend him, a decision Donald Trump publicly applauded as “good news for America”.
Joining Kimmel at the $16 million (£12.1m) mark is the other Jimmy. Known for his celebrity interviews and viral skits on NBC's The Tonight Show, Fallon is arguably the most well-known to audiences outside of the US due to his presence online. Between June 2024 and 2025, The Tonight Show ranked as the most-followed and most-viewed late-night program across social media.
Building on that success, Fallon is expanding his portfolio. NBC recently announced he’ll co-host a new reality competition series, On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, alongside marketing executive Bozoma Saint John.
Breaking away from the conveyor belt of late-night hosts, Joe Buck is the first sports commentator to appear on the list. Like Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, Buck is expected to take home an impressive $16 million (£12.1m) in 2025. Buck spent nearly three decades with Fox Sports before making the high-profile switch to ESPN in 2022, where he became the lead play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Football alongside Troy Aikman.
In 2025, Buck briefly returned to his baseball roots, calling the New York Yankees’ season opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on ESPN. It was a nostalgic moment for fans who remember his years behind the mic for the World Series.
Since leaving his role as Senior Advisor to President Clinton in 1996, Stephanopoulos has become one of ABC’s best-paid anchors and political correspondents, hosting This Week and frequently contributing to Good Morning America.
In 2025, he made headlines for a particularly tense interview with Vice President JD Vance, shutting down the conversation when the politician repeatedly refused to answer a question about border czar Tom Homan.
Another veteran TV host, Steve Harvey brought in $17 million (£12.9m) in 2025. Most of that comes from his long-running Family Feud gig, which he's helmed since 2010. His earnings are also bolstered by lucrative syndication deals and ABC’s generous pay for the Celebrity Family Feud spin-off, which scored its highest-rated season premiere in three years this past July.
Beyond game shows, Harvey continues to profit from his morning radio shows, which maintain a strong national audience and add a reliable revenue stream. There’s also potential upside if ABC greenlights a third season of Judge Steve Harvey, his courtroom reality series, though no official word has been announced.
From anchoring numerous elections and political events to even moderating the major presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016, Anderson Cooper has been a mainstay at CNN since 2021. So it's no surprise he takes home a juicy salary of $18 million (£13.7m).
His signature program, Anderson Cooper 360°, continues to draw strong ratings, but recent headlines have hinted at a possible shift in his career. The star has reportedly hired a top Hollywood agent, sparking speculation about potential expansion into new media ventures or a step away from traditional news.
Tony Romo has successfully transitioned from NFL star to one of television’s top sports analysts, taking home an estimated $18 million (£13.7m) in 2025, according to Forbes. Romo joined CBS Sports in 2017 under a three-year deal worth $3 million (£2.3m) per season, but fast forward to 2025, and CBS has reportedly offered him a new contract worth six times his original deal.
Also taking home $18 million (£13.7m) is another football great-turned-broadcaster, Troy Aikman. Aikman’s journey mirrors Romo’s, but while CBS paid big money to keep Romo at the network, ESPN battled to steal Aikman from Fox. Reports suggest he signed a multi-year contract worth around $90 million (around $18m/£13.7m per year) when he moved in 2022.
Pat McAfee comes in just outside the top 15, earning an estimated $20 million (£15.2m) in 2025. A former NFL punter who spent eight seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, McAfee has carved out a thriving media career with The Pat McAfee Show, which he hosts and produces. The show now airs across ESPN, YouTube, and other platforms, under a major licensing deal that has significantly boosted his earnings.
Reports suggest his contract is valued at around $85 million (£64.5m) over five years, with additional fees pushing his annual take-home to about $20 million (£15.2m). His high-energy commentary, humour, and insider knowledge have attracted both casual and hardcore football fans.
Stephen A Smith has become a hosting presence through his role on ESPN's First Take since 2012. He's often criticised for his over-the-top opinions, but it's exactly these unpopular quips and charged on-air debates that have made him the network's highest-paid talent as of March 2025, with ESPN reportedly throwing a five-year contract at him worth at least $100 million (£76m).
A basketball hall of famer, Charles Barkley quickly became an adored asset of the highly-popular Inside the NBA segment that was recently acquired by ESPN for $76 billion (£58bn) in a rights deal transfer from TNT.
Barkley’s $21 million (£15.9m) salary in 2025 comes from the remaining years of a 10-year, $210 million (£159m) contract with TNT/ESPN. However, he has openly suggested he might retire earlier than planned, indicating he could step back in just two years.
Daytime TV star Kelly Ripa co-hosts Live with Kelly and Mark alongside her husband, Mark Consuelos, and brings in a tidy $22 million (£16.7m). Kelly always manages to stay in the public eye, and 2025 has been no different, thanks to her confessional discussions about personal topics such as her husband's "repulsive" bedroom habits.
Her income stems from her hosting duties, production company ownership, and co-ownership of an Italian soccer team, all of which culminate in her large net worth of $120 million (£91m).
Savannah Guthrie is known best for her role as co-anchor of NBC's Today show, and her eight-figure salary shows how much the network values her. As the primary anchor of NBC's election coverage, she has interviewed high-profile figures, including former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as Donald Trump.
If Good Morning America is ABC's crown, then Robin Roberts is their biggest jewel. She joined the program as co-anchor in 2005 and, alongside George Stephanopoulos, has been instrumental in keeping the show at the top of the morning ratings, consistently outpacing NBC’s Today throughout 2024 and 2025.
It's no wonder ABC has made Roberts its highest-paid news anchor with take-home pay of $25 million (£19m).
Rachel Maddow is a political commentator and longtime MSNBC host. In 2025, she resumed her regular five-nights-a-week hosting schedule to cover Donald Trump’s first 100 days of a renewed term, a strategic move by the network to boost ratings and profile.
Despite some years of reduced on-air appearances, Maddow’s $25 million (£19m) take-home pay underscores her continued influence and reputation as a leading voice in political commentary.
Also earning $25 million (£19m) in 2025 is Sean Hannity, the conservative commentator and longtime Fox News heavyweight. As the longest-running primetime host in cable history, Hannity has been a central figure at the network for over two decades.
Though he briefly slipped behind Tucker Carlson in the ratings before Carlson’s 2023 exit, Hannity has since reclaimed his top spot in Fox’s lineup.
Strahan played 15 seasons with the New York Giants and won the Super Bowl in his final year, which made him a sweet prospect when Fox was looking for a recent player to join its pre-game build-up roster. But Strahan didn’t stop at sports; in 2012, he joined Kelly Ripa on Live! and became a daytime TV favourite before landing a full-time co-host slot on Good Morning America.
One of his smartest career moves came with The $100,000 Pyramid, a revived game show that became a consistent ratings hit and major income stream. Combined, these roles will reportedly earn him around $26 million (£19.8m) in 2025.
Ryan Seacrest has built decades of credibility through a variety of high-profile roles: from American Idol (which he’s hosted since 2002) to replacing Pat Sajak as the host of Wheel of Fortune in 2024. His long-running radio program, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, also continues to draw millions of listeners and reportedly nets him over $10 million (£7.6m) annually, according to Forbes.
Reports for 2025 estimate his annual take-home pay is around $29 million (£22m), possibly much higher when factoring in endorsements, production profits, and brand deals.
The first name on the list to break the $30 million (£22.8m) earnings mark is none other than TV icon Judge Judy Sheindlin. Her original courtroom series, Judge Judy, ran for 25 seasons until 2021, consistently drawing over 10 million viewers a day at its peak and generating massive advertising revenue for CBS. Her biggest payday came in 2017 when she sold the show’s entire library to CBS for a reported $95 million (£72m).
Even after Judge Judy ended, Sheindlin hasn’t slowed down. Her follow-up series, Judy Justice, continues to perform well on Amazon Freevee, where it’s one of the platform’s top-performing original titles. In 2025, she also launched a spin-off project, Justice on Trial, expanding her courtroom empire across streaming and syndication.
In 2025, John Oliver’s HBO powerhouse Last Week Tonight entered its twelfth season, with the network extending Oliver’s contract through 2027. Reports suggest the deal was estimated at $30 million (£22.8m) per year, or roughly $1m (£760k) per episode. The show remains HBO’s most valuable late-night series, consistently winning Emmys for its unscripted, witty segments that trigger real-world policy discussions and massive YouTube traction, with many clips exceeding 10 million views.
We’ve had talk show hosts and sports broadcasters: now we move into the kitchen, where the next three entries, all tied for second place, are used to hosting guests. First up is Gordon Ramsay, who brought in an estimated $33 million (£25.1m) in 2025.
The celebrity chef and TV star's income is driven largely by his long-running Fox series Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, and Next Level Chef, all of which remain among the network’s highest-rated reality programs.
In 2025, Ramsay launched a new competition show called Secret Service, announced the return of Hell’s Kitchen UK (set to air in early 2026), and opened several high-profile restaurants. These include a flagship venue in London and a 1960s British-themed gastropub at the Disneyland Resort in California.
Sharing the culinary spotlight with Ramsay is Bobby Flay, a Food Network mainstay who's raking in an estimated $33 million (£25.1m) salary in 2025. While Flay doesn’t boast Michelin stars or share Ramsay’s shock-chef theatrics, his trio of hit series, Beat Bobby Flay, BBQ Brawl, and Bobby’s Triple Threat, remain some of the most-watched programs on Food Network.
Few TV personalities work as tirelessly, or as flamboyantly, as Guy Fieri, aka the Mayor of Flavortown.The bleached-haired, flip-flop-wearing host has logged over 20 years on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, Guy’s Grocery Games, and Tournament of Champions, the latter of which has been renewed for another season in 2026.
And if that's not enough on his plate, his new show, Guy’s Flavortown Games, is set to premiere next year. No wonder FoodNetwork has made him its highest earner on a reported $100 million (£76m) multi-year contract.
The NFL's greatest of all time achieved everything there was to achieve on the field, and now he's tackling broadcasting. Tom Brady officially joined Fox Sports as lead NFL commentator in 2024, kicking off a 10-year, $375m (£285m) deal that instantly made him the highest-paid sports broadcaster in history.
To put that in perspective, the seven-time Super Bowl winner's annual salary of around $37.5 million (£28.5m) is nearly 94 times higher than the US president’s paycheque: a staggering sum even by this superstar's standards.
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