Off-air remarks ‘nothing to do with Carrie Gracie’

Radio broadcaster John Humphrys has said comments made in an off-air chat about equal pay were “nothing to do” with the campaign by Carrie Gracie after he was criticised for making light of the situation.

A leaked recording of a conversation between Mr Humphrys and North America editor Jon Sopel, before Monday’s BBC Radio 4 Today programme, reportedly heard them discussing Ms Gracie, who had quit earlier.

According to the Sun and the Times, Mr Humphrys asked his colleague how much of his salary he would “hand over” to keep Ms Gracie as the China editor, before adding: “Oh dear God, she’s actually suggested you should lose money.”