BBC director general Mark Thompson has warned that the BBC may walk away from high salary demands issued by top talent.

His comments come a week after the BBC Trust said it would investigate the amount paid to the corporation's top stars.

"We will continue to compete to retain a handful of top artists because the British public want the BBC to bring them the best original entertainment," Thompson said in a speech at the QE2 conference centre. "But again – as with acquisitions, as with sports rights – sometimes we will walk away."