BBC ‘getting there’ on gender pay gap

TV star Claudia Winkleman has said the BBC is “getting there” on tackling the gender pay gap at the corporation.

The Strictly co-presenter, 48, said it was right the BBC published the annual salaries of its top earning stars.

Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball is the BBC’ s highest- paid earner on £1.36 million, overtaking Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker, who recently took a 25% pay cut to earn £1.3m.

According to the BBC’s annual report published last month, Winkleman earned around £365,000 in 2019-20.

“I think it was really good that everyone’ s salaries were published because I think it altered things,” the mother of three said.

“I think that’s good and it’ s a public-owned company and people should know where their money is spent.”

Asked whether the BBC had made enough progress, Winkleman replied: “Not yet, getting there. You have to start the conversation.”

Winkleman said her own mother, journalist Eve Pollard, did not tell her employers she was expecting her until she was visibly pregnant but things had improved since then and would continue to improve for future generations.

“It’ s unbelievably frustrating and it’s galling, but I do feel that progress must and will be made,” she said.

“It will be better for my daughter, it will be better for your daughter, it will be better for your grandchildren, it has to be.”

Winkleman was in conversation with Emma Freud at the Cheltenham Literature Festival to promote her humorous memoir, Quite.

Asked why Strictly Come Dancing was so enduringly popular with the British public, Winkleman said: “I think the magic of Strictly is that it’s like a snow globe of as how. It is like Christmas.

“I think people like seeing people try. So they like seeing people try when they’re baking for Bake Off, or when they’re making a skirt for Sewing Bee, or when the y ’re doing a rumba, and the magical thing... there are lots of shows where people sort of try a bit.”

Winkleman said she took the show very seriously, as many of the contestants did too.

“With Strictly there is an extraordinary camaraderie.

“The people who have chosen to take part are almost paralysed by nerves, because they are not dancers.”

PROGRESS: Claudia Winkleman is hopeful for the future.