Graham Norton clocks up €2,000 in fees each minute
The popular and charismatic BBC presenter is in a league of his own, with a 13.5% jump in presenting and production fees, and royalties, from the previous year.
Mr Norton’s show is the first port of call in Britain for Hollywood ‘A listers’ promoting movies.
Mr Norton was also owed £585,780 by production firm, So Television Ltd, at the end of last July.
The payout to Mr Norton confirms that the 53-year old clocks up €2,000 in fees and royalties for every minute he is presenting the top-rated The Graham Norton Show.
The show is the main earner for So Television Ltd.
Its pre-tax profits fell slightly, to £1.97m, in the year to the end of last July.
Revenues at the firm increased slightly, to £11.57m.
The Graham Norton Show is shown throughout the world.
TV3 has the Irish rights.
The growing popularity of the show outside Britain is reflected in ‘rest of world’ revenue, which rose to £3.35m.
His pay increase also reflects the number of shows per season, which have risen from 31 to 35.
Two compilation shows are also screened.
Mr Norton and Graham Stuart, the producer, sold So Television to ITV in 2012, for an upfront payment of £10m and a £7m performance fee.
Born in Dublin and raised in Bandon, Co Cork, Norton first shot to prominence in 1996, for playing Father Noel Furlong in Father Ted, before he hosted a chat show on Channel 4.
He was awarded an honorary doctorate by UCC in June, 2013.
The firm employed 26 people last year, with staff costs totalling £909,245.
Remuneration to the firm’s eight directors, including Mr Norton and Mr Stuart, was unchanged, at €250,000.
An unnamed, highest-paid director got £250,000 in fees.
“The Graham Norton Show continued to perform very well, both in the UK and internationally, leading to increased distribution sales,” the directors say.
The “strength of development, investment in development, including So TV Live, for future growth, remains strong”, the report says.
Accumulated profits totalled £9.27m.
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