Sofia Vergara: $43m Modern Family star continues to dominate TV as highest paid actress

Sofia Vergara has been named Forbes magazine's highest paid TV actress for the fifth year in a row. The Colombian actress, star of popular television sitcom Modern Family, fought off fierce competition from rivals including The Big Bang's Kaley Cuoco and Scandal's Kerry Washington to retain her title.

In the last 12 months the 44-year-old star earned $43m (£32.6m) thanks to her role as eccentric mother Gloria Pritchett in the award-winning show and her lucrative endorsements deals, including Head and Shoulders shampoo and a line of nurses' scrubs.

The Golden Globe winner's annual earnings have jumped up by 66% since last year and more than doubled since her first appearance at the top of Forbes's list in 2012, when she earned $29m.

The blockbuster payday means she earned more than her any of her male counterparts in the past year.

Cuoco secured second place with $24.5m in earnings exclusively from her work on The Big Bang Theory. She currently holds one of the biggest TV salaries along with her Big Bang castmates, each making nearly $1 million per episode for the CBS hit. Back in 2015 she tied with Vergara at the top of last year's Forbes list, when both actresses earned $28.5m (£21.6m).

The Mindy Project's Mindy Kaling came in third place after jumping five places in this year's list. She has made $15m (£11.4m) in the last 12 months.

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra made the list for the first time this year with $11 million. The Quantico star's role on the ABC series, as well as several endorsement deals in India, earned her eighth place.