BBC’s Fiona: Gender gap disappointing but not surprising
FIONA Bruce has said that while she was disappointed when the extent of the gender pay gap at the BBC was revealed, she was not surprised.
The presenter and newsreader, 53, was among stars whose salaries were made public as part of the broadcaster’s annual report earlier this year.
She was shown to be getting between £350,000 and £399,000 a year while colleague Huw Edwards trousered £550,000 to £599,000. Bruce was among more than 40 female stars who signed a protest letter to Director General Tony Hall.
Asked if she thinks women at the BBC get a fair deal, she said: “The salary list spoke for itself. I know the Prime Minister felt the BBC needed to get its house in order. I was disap- pointed. The BBC is trying to get its house in order. Let’s see what comes out.” She added that she “wasn’t taken aback”.
The BBC has been under pressure since it emerged two-thirds of its stars on more than £150,000 are male, with Chris Evans topping the pile on up to £2.25million. The highest-paid female, Strictly host Claudia Winkleman, earns up to £499,999.
Meanwhile, Bruce said working as a news journalist and a presenter means she has to show different sides of herself to viewers. Speaking to Radio Times, she said on Antiques Roadshow she sometimes gets emotional when there is a particularly compelling story to an item, adding: “I can’t just stand there.”