Her mysterious disappearance from the screen has baffled viewers, colleagues and even her own mother.
But Christa Ackroyd’s absence from her flagship BBC programme has been more than filled by a few salient revelations – not least that she earns around £225,000 a year.
That is believed to make her the highest paid regional news presenter in the country, with a salary far higher than the Prime Minister’s £150,000.
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BBC local news presenter Christa Ackroyd (left), who earns around £225,000 a year, stopped presenting Look North more than six weeks ago. She has presented the show with Harry Gration (right) since 2001
It is believed Miss Ackroyd, who has presented Look North since 2001, is employed on a freelance basis and that her contract expires this year
Colleagues have accused the Look North co-host of behaving ‘like The Queen’ and being ‘too big for her boots’. Miss Ackroyd, who also runs a luxury B&B in West Yorkshire, has a penchant for sporty cars, the latest of which is a lovingly restored vintage blue and white Mini Cooper with number plate C12 STA.
Last night sources at the BBC said her vanishing act may have been the result of a suggested pay cut. There was also speculation that it could be linked to her expenses and tax affairs.
Miss Ackroyd’s extravagant lifestyle and salary came to light after she stopped presenting Look North more than six weeks ago.
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She has co-presented the programme with Harry Gration since 2001. Sources said Miss Ackroyd’s pay was significantly more than other regional TV presenters – most of whom earn around £100,000 –because she was poached from Yorkshire Television’s rival show Calendar to boost ratings.
It is believed that Miss Ackroyd is employed on a freelance basis and that her contract expires this year.
There was speculation last night that the BBC was planning to slash her pay back to about £150,000.
Although she is popular with viewers, Miss Ackroyd is considerably less well thought of by her colleagues.
Christa Ackroyd on BBC Look North
Colleagues have accused the Look North co-host of behaving 'like The Queen' and being 'too big for her boots'
One claimed: ‘Everyone says they are out to get her because she is paid too much and the phrase being used is she is too big for her boots. There is a feeling at the BBC and ITV she should take a massive pay cut.’
Conservative MP Philip Davies, who sits on the culture, media and sport select committee, said of Miss Ackroyd’s salary: ‘It seems to me to be very high. How it has got to that level I don’t know. I would have thought that is excessive.’
Miss Ackroyd, who runs the B&B with her husband Chris Sutcliffe, last appeared on air on March 1. She flew to Sydney the same month for her annual visit to spend time with her 27-year-old daughter Briony.
After arriving home in Yorkshire she tweeted that while she had jet lag she was looking forward to being back ‘in the real world’. But she has not yet returned to the Look North newsroom.
Last night her 85-year-old mother Phyllis said: ‘She [Christa] has been in Australia for a few weeks and come back and we just don’t know what’s happening. I spoke to her yesterday. Everyone wants to know when she is back on TV and what’s going on but it’s not for me to say.’
Miss Ackroyd’s colleagues said: ‘The uncertainty is having a bad effect on the atmosphere. We seem to spend all our time answering queries about what has happened to Christa. Any inquiries we are just told to bat off to the BBC press office.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘Christa is still working for the BBC but is off air at the moment. Freelancers and staff employed through service companies are responsible for making the appropriate payments to HMRC.’
BBC ONE BOSS PROMOTED TO DIRECTOR OF TELEVISION
Jonathan Ross was paid £6million a year when he was at the BBC
BBC One boss Danny Cohen has been promoted to director of television on a salary of £327,800.
His appointment pushed the corporation into another row over executive salaries after it emerged he will be paid nearly £50,000 more than his predecessor.
Critics said it was another example of the BBC failing to clamp down on inflated wage packets.
It follows fierce criticism of the £450,000 golden goodbye given to former director general George Entwistle when he resigned after just 54 days in the job.
His successor Tony Hall will also be entitled to a huge payout if he fails despite only having to serve a six-month notice period.
The £340,000-a-year salary of former Times editor James Harding also raised eyebrows when he was announced as the new head of news and current affairs.
The controversy over staff salaries comes after anger at the millions paid to the so-called 'talent'.
Jonathan Ross has previously insisted he was worth the £6million a year he was previously paid by the BBC as he says he would have been paid more elsewhere.
Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker's £2million-a-year salary also caused anger.
His colleague Alan Hansen is understood to have taken a pay cut in his new contract.