Chatshow host and comedian Graham Norton enjoyed a 20 per cent increase in salary to £2.6 million (€3 million) last year, new figures show.

The rise in pay came ahead of the Irish BBC presenter sharing £10 million up front with his business partner, Graham Stuart, from the sale of their So Television company to ITV in August last year.

So Television produces the star's BBC One Graham Norton Show. New figures for the 12 months to the end of July 31st, 2012, show that Norton received £2.61 million in fees and royalties from the production firm during the period – a £429,000 increase on the £2.1 million he received in 2011.

No dividend
Norton did not take any dividend from the firm in 2012 after receiving £400,000 in dividends in 2011.

The fees received last year by Norton (50), who also presents a BBC radio show, dwarf the sums received by the best-known media personalities working in Ireland, including Ryan Tubridy and Pat Kenny.

In accounts just filed at Companies House in the UK, the firm reports an increase of 89 per cent in pretax profits from £1.2 million to £2.3 million last year on the back of a 15 per cent rise in revenue from £11.86 million to £13.59 million.

The BBC last year recommissioned the Graham Norton Show, which is screened in 100 countries including on TV3 in Ireland, through to 2014.

In the deal with ITV on the sale of So Television, ITV agreed to pay £10 million up front. A further £7 million will be payable depending on the company’s performance up to July 2016.

Norton established So Television with Mr Stuart, his business partner and the executive producer of the Graham Norton Show, in 2000.