DETAILS of how much Scottish celebrities can command for speaking engagements have been revealed online.
Scots stars are graded on the talent agency website as AA, A, B, C, D and E – with the top band charging at least £25,000 for a night’s work.
Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy and singer Emeli Sande are among the AA-rated celebrities on the website of London-based JLA.
The agency lists Sir Chris as AA-rated for both conferences and after-dinner speaking, and explains the grading means a payment of “over £25,000”.
Hoy’s topics are “Peak Performance” and subject titles “Maintaining Focus”, according to the website, which adds that starstruck clients from Lloyds all “wanted to have their photo taken with him and his medals”.
Texas singer Sharlene Spiteri, TV chef Gordon Ramsay and golfer Colin Montgomerie are among the other AA-rated Scots.
Below them, A-listers get paid between £10,000 and £25,000 for a speaking engagement.
A-graded stars include businessman Duncan Bannatyne. His speech titles include “Change your life” and “Rags-to-riches to Dragon’s Den”.
But Bannatyne’s friend, Scots businesswoman Michelle Mone, is only B-rated by JLA, meaning she has to make do with £5000 to £10,000 for a conference speech. Leaders in London praised her “sparkling personality” and “real life leadership” on the site.
Among Scots broadcasters, Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty Young enjoys A-grade status and payments of up to £25,000-a-speech.
Kirsty Gallacher, Jenni Falconer and James Naughtie are B-graded and can command up to £10,000.
C-listers – who can command between £2,500 and £5000 – include Hazel Irvine and Dougie Donnelly. Dougie Vipond is listed as a D, meaning a relatively affordable charge of £1,000 to £2,500.
Other Scots Ds include the former Governor of Barlinnie, Robbie Glen.
Although the E category – charging less than £1000 – exists, it proved impossible to find any celebrities listed there.
Wide differences in the pay celebrities can expect to receive are very common.
In the world of journalism, daytime TV queen Lorraine Kelly gets an A-grade celebrity status, meaning she earns up to £15,000-a-night more than B-rated Newsnight stalwart Kirsty Wark.
Scots comedians including Frankie Boyle, Ronnie Corbett, Richard Wilson, Rory Bremner and Kevin Bridges all enjoy A status.
Karen Dunbar and Fred Macaulay are B-rated while Hardeep Singh Kohli presently has to make do with being a C.
In the world of politics, George Robertson, once a senior member of Tony Blair’s cabinet and former Secretary General of Nato, makes the A list.
Curiously, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, as he is now known, is ahead of his old boss, former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who is graded B.
Back in the world of sport, former Liverpool star and Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen is on the A list. Olympic gold medalist Catherine Grainger enjoys B-rated payments while celebrity cyclist Mark Beaumont is on the C list.
JLA declined to comment.
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