A battle royal on gender pay

CLAIRE FOY, who played Queen Elizabeth in the Netflix series The Crown, was paid less than her onscreen Duke of Edinburgh, Matt Smith. To add insult to injury, Claire (above with Smith) was quite magnificent in her regal role, while Matt’s portrayal of Philip made him seem like a posho schoolboy in droopy epaulettes, forever moaning because Queenie wasn’t giving him enough attention, boo hoo. Miss Foy, 33, was reportedly paid £28,000 per episode for the first two series (20 episodes, oof, a lot of wonga) while it is not known what Smith was paid, but whatever it was, it was too much. This discrepancy is being excitedly held up as another example of the gender pay gap — but does this really apply in showbusiness, where stature, star power, formidable agents and popularity all factor into the final price and where you came from matters even more than where you’re going? The same happens in football. One could argue that everyone in the Manchester United first team does exactly the same job, but do they get the same amount? No. Foy was largely unknown when she was cast in The Crown, although she had impressed as Anne Boleyn in the BBC’s adaptation of Wolf Hall. Meanwhile, Smith had been Doctor Who for four years and was a recognisable face on both sides of the Atlantic. This is not a gender issue, despite every feminist screaming about how unfair it all is and confusing the real pay issues for ordinary women. In the meantime, Miss Foy’s star is rising, while Mr Smith has failed to shine. In the end, the victory is hers.