Navratilova says BBC pays McEnroe ‘at least 10 times more’ for Wimbledon role
Tennis star and Wimbledon pundit Martina Navratilova has spoken out about the gender pay gap at the BBC after finding out the broadcaster paid fellow commentator John McEnroe at least ten times as much as her. The nine-time Wimbledon champion said she was shocked at the difference in salaries, claiming she earned £15,000 compared to his pay packet of between £150,000 and £199,999, as revealed in last summer’s disclosures of top-paid staff at the corporation. She accused the BBC of valuing male voices
more than female ones.
“It was a shock because John McEnroe makes at least £150,000 ... I get about £15,000 for Wimbledon and unless John McEnroe’s doing a whole bunch of stuff outside of Wimbledon he’s getting at least 10 times as much money for very comparable work,” she told Panorama, which airs this evening. “I’m not happy ... It’s shocking ... It’s still the good old boys’ network ... The bottom line is that male voices are valued more than women’s voices.”
She claimed that she had been told she was earning a comparable amount to her male counterpart, adding: “We were not told the truth, that’s for sure.” The 61-year-old added that while to her it was a “part-time job”, if other women at the BBC in more permanent roles were experiencing similar issues, the problem may be even bigger. For the women that work there full-time, maybe the discrepancy is not that large but still, it adds up over a lifetime ... It adds up to an amazing amount of money. It is extremely unfair and it makes me angry for the other women that I think go through this.”
In a statement, the BBC said Navratilova was an “occasional contributor” paid per appearance at a rate that “reflects what she is asked to do, her time commitment, her level of broadcast experience, profile and track record and expertise”. It said McEnroe was expected to be on call throughout the tournament and on air every day in a variety of roles. “Along with Sue Barker, John is regarded as the face of our Wimbledon coverage,” the statement said. “He is a defining voice within the BBC’s coverage. He is widely considered to be the best expert/commentator in the sport, highly valued by our audiences and his contract means he cannot work for another UK broadcaster without our permission. His pay reflects all of this; gender isn’t a factor.”
Other broadcasters who have been vocal over the gender pay gap at the corporation – which has been hitting headlines for some time – are former China editor Carrie Gracie and ex-news presenter Maxine Mawhinney. Ms Gracie left her role in protest and now works in the London office, while Ms Mawhinney also left after the list of top-paid BBC staff was revealed last summer. The latter has suggested she may bring a case against the BBC over the pay differences when asked if this is something she would consider. “If I find that I was entitled to have been paid at a different rate during the time I was there, of course, I would.”
The broadcaster, who worked for the corporation for 20 years, told Panorama: “I do know that I have sat beside men on TV doing the same job, probably with the same experience or I might have been even more experienced, and I know they were earning more than me.” The list revealed the highest paid male at the BBC to be Chris Evans, who earned more than £2m, while the top woman on the list was Claudia Winkleman, whose salary stood somewhere between £450,000 and £499,999. There have been calls for further pay disclosures, as Conservative MP Damian Collins told Panorama he believes pay for the BBC’s commercial branch, BBC Studios, should also be made public.
A review by the BBC concluded there was “no evidence of a gender bias” in deciding how people were paid, despite finding a gender pay gap of 6.8 per cent. The finding was criticised by BBC Women, a group including Victoria Derbyshire, Jane Garvey and Mishal Husain.
“Panorama: Britain’s Equal Pay Scandal” aired last night at 7.30pm on BBC1 and is available on iPlayer today