In an attempt to address unequal salaries between male and females at the BBC, six male presenters have agreed to take pay cuts to their salaries.
Jeremy Vine, John Humphrys, Huw Edwards, Nick Robinson, Nicky Campbell and Jon Sopel have accepted reduced salaries following Carrie Gracie’s resignation as BBC China editor as protest over unequal wages.
“We are very grateful to Huw Edwards, Nicky Campbell, John Humphrys, Jon Sopel, Nick Robinson, and Jeremy Vine, who have agreed that their pay will now be reduced,” said a spokesperson.
“These are great journalists and presenters, who have a real connection with the audience. We are proud to have them working at the BBC.
“The final details of some of these changes are still being discussed, and there are further conversations that the BBC will have with others in due course.”
Jeremy Vine said he was happy to take a pay cut as “it needs to be sorted out and I support my female colleagues.”
It was revealed today that Vine earns between £700,000-£749,999. John Humphrys’ salary will be reduced by a third in two years, dropping his salary from £600,000-£649,000 to £250,000-£300,000.
Two-thirds of the highest-paid stars at the BBC were revealed earlier this year to be men.
“It’s the third [pay cut] and they have been volunteered in each case,” said Humphrys.
“There was no shortage of cash,” he added. “There is a shortage of cash. And it seems to me, and I thought this before the salary disclosures last year, but the salary disclosures reinforced the idea that some of us were earning much more than others.”
An independent audit looking into equal pay at the BBC is expected to be published next week.
Gracie is now returning to the BBC newsroom after leaving her position as China editor, saying she expects to be “paid equally”.