Three BBC newsreaders who collectively owe nearly £1m in unpaid taxes have blamed the debt on corporation bosses who pushed them to set up personal service companies or face losing their jobs.

Joanna Gosling, David Eades and Tim Willcox made the joint claim in evidence submitted to a tax tribunal in the High Court on Monday.

They said the BBC forced them off the payroll in 2003/4 and “pressured” them to set up the personal service companies (PSCs) – taking them off the corporation’s payroll – “if [they] wanted to continue working with the BBC”, according to the Financial Times.