Casualty star: Men need to earn more ... to feed the family
Anger at ‘Fifties attitude’ to BBC gender row
CASUALTY actor Tom Chambers has poured fresh fuel on the gender pay row – claiming that men need to earn more than women so they can support their families.
The 40-year- old, who plays Dr Sam Strachan in the BBC1 soap, said: ‘Many men’s salaries aren’t just for them – it’s for their wife and children, too.
‘My wife works really hard as a stayat-home mum, but I’m the only one bringing in a salary for our family.’
The Strictly Come Dancing winner also defended big BBC salaries after the show’s top actor – Derek Thompson, who plays Charlie Fairhead – was shown to be on up to £400,000.
Labour MP Stella Creasy condemned Chambers for peddling Fifties attitudes, adding: ‘Is he saying that pay should depend on whether or not you are married? Whatever works for Tom Chambers’ family is their business – but it is not a model for society.’
Viewers branded Chambers a ‘Neanderthal’ and a ‘timetraveller from 1955’ on social media. Others pointed out that many women were also sole breadwinners.
One tweeted: ‘It is entirely beyond the wit of Tom Chambers that some mothers stay at home whilst father works precisely because of the gender pay gap.’
Their anger was shared by TV insiders.
One source said: ‘ I feel sorry for his daughter.’ Chambers’ 35-year-old wife, Clare, gave up her job as a TV researcher to look after their son, six, and daughter, who is almost three. Last night, Chambers tried desperately to distance himself from the row, insisting that he had been referring to an earlier time when men were invariably the breadwinners in a family. He said: ‘I am completely mortified... and didn’t mean to offend anyone by my comments, which have been taken out of context. I in no way advocate the gender pay gap. I was explaining that I thought it had stemmed from that past, and shouldn’t be how things are now. ‘I truly believe that change needs to happen.’ The BBC was forced to admit last week that it paid 96 stars at least £150,000 a year, topped by Chris Evans on up to £2.25million. Men on the rich list outnumbered women two to one, and many high-profile female presenters – such as Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis – earned too little to be included. The news led to a revolt by more than 40 female stars, who want BBC boss Lord Hall to take action to close the pay gap. Radio 5 Live presenter Rachel Burden said yesterday that women who raised gender pay were belittled. She told The Guardian: ‘Senior managers were asked whether women were on the same pay as comparable male colleagues. ‘Few enquiries had a satisfactory outcome. The female journalists were either ignored or belittled.’