Radio 2 host Chris Evans has been revealed to be the highest paid member of BBC staff, earning between £2.2 million and £2.25 million per year.

After Evans, Match of the Day host Gary Lineker was the second most highly paid star, on a salary of between £1.75 million and £1,799,999, and then Graham Norton on between £850,000 and £899,999.

The revelations came as the BBC published for the first time the salaries of its staff who earned £150,000 or more last year.

The data showed that 214 both on and off-air employees fall into this wage bracket.

The salaries of BBC employees are paid by licence fee revenues.

Of the most highly paid on-air stars, the top seven are all white males.

The highest paid female on-air member of staff is Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman who earns between £450,000 and £499,999, and is eighth best-paid.

Of the 20 highest paid on-air stars, only five are female and none are of black, Asian, or minority ethnic (BAME) descent.

The highest paid BAME on-air stars are DJ Trevor Nelson, newsreader George Alagiah, and Radio Wales presenter Jason Mohammad. All three earn between £250,000 and £299,999.

The highest paid BAME female is newsreader Mishal Husain, who earns between £200,000 and £249,999.

In comparison to the wages of those on-air, BBC Director General Tony Hall earns between £450,000 and £499,999, with his deputy Anne Bulford earning between £400,000 and £449,999.

Five other members of the BBC's executive committee earn between £300,000 and £349,999.

Following the publication of the figures, the BBC has come under fire over the lack of diversity among its highest paid stars.

Mr Hall defended the gender and diversity pay gaps within the corporation, insisting that it is "more diverse than the broadcasting industry and the civil service" in general.

However, he acknowledged that there is "more to do".

"We have set the most stretching targets in the industry for on-air diversity and we've made progress, but we recognise there is more to do and we are pushing further and faster than any other broadcaster.

" At the moment, of the talent earning over £150,000, two thirds are men and one third are women.

"We've set a clear target for 2020: we want all our lead and presenting roles to be equally divided between men and women. And it's already having an impact.

"If you look at those on the list who we have hired or promoted in the last three years, 60% are women and nearly a fifth come from a BAME background.

"Meeting our goal on this is going to have a profound impact not just in the BBC, but the whole media industry. It's going to change the market for talent in this country".

The top 20 highest paid on-air stars at the BBC are:

Conservative MP John Whittingdale, who brought in the requirement for the BBC to publish salaries when he was culture secretary, said that he had done so because "if somebody is earning the equivalent of 1,000 households' licence fees put together, then the licence fee payer deserves to know about that and reach a judgment for themselves of whether that is good value for money."

He continued: "This is not about saying people working at the BBC shouldn't be paid more than £150,000. There are people who I think the licence fee payer will think are good value for money at that price."

The Maldon MP insisted that the motive behind his call for the figures to be published was not to exert downward pressure on salaries, instead arguing that "it was about accountability".

He added: "It was about expecting the BBC to be able to make the argument as to why they felt that certain individuals were worth that."

Shadow culture secretary Tom Watson defended the pay packets of top BBC stars, arguing that "the BBC is one of the world's greatest broadcasters and we shouldn't be surprised that its top stars - who millions of people tune in to watch and listen to every week - are well paid.

"Labour recognises the BBC's dilemma - the need to give licence payers value for money while operating in a competitive commercial environment against other broadcasters who do not have to disclose what they pay."

Mr Watson also highlighted the gender pay gap, calling it "wrong", adding that Labour "welcomes Lord Hall's commitment" to close it by 2020.

Similarly Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson said she hoped the publication of salaries would "galvanise" the BBC to close the gender pay gap.

The former equalities minister continued: "It is undoubtedly the case that the BBC had made strides in recent years to stop having programmes with just male voices being heard. It's not very long ago that that was pretty commonplace.

"Yes, they have made progress, but there is still a long way to go and there shouldn't be any complacency. Just being better than competitors is not something in itself that is sufficient.

"Eliminating the pay gap has to be the aim, and doing it as quickly as possible."