BBC in talks to stop top female stars defecting

Women were shocked to discover the discrepancy

THE BBC was last night locked in talks with some of its biggest female stars in a bid to stop them moving to rival channels in the light of the salary disclosures.

Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis, Today presenter Sarah Montague and Breakfast host Louise Minchin were all reportedly shocked to discover they earn significantly less than some of their male colleagues.

Rival broadcasters have reportedly made approaches to Ms Maitlis following the revelation that she is paid far less than her colleague Evan Davis, who receives up to £299,000 a year.

But insiders last night insisted she was likely to remain with the Corporation following assurances from management.

The news came as some of the Corporation’s most high-profile female figures, including Clare Balding, Victoria Derbyshire and Sue Barker, signed an open letter to Director-General Tony Hall, urging him to tackle the pay gap.

One source, who asked to remain anonymous, said the BBC and Ms Maitlis, below, were ‘working things out calmly’ and they expected the presenter to be back on air next week. Evan Davis said he was all in favour of ‘transparency’ but declined to comment further on the issue. Ms Montague failed to make the £150,000-plus list even though three of her colleagues were ranked among the Corporation’s highest-paid staff. Her fellow female presenter Mishal Husain earned up to £249,999 while her male counterparts Nick Robinson and John Humphrys were paid up to £299,999 and £649,999 respectively. Sarah Sands, the newly appointed editor of Today, told The Mail on Sunday she was confident that Montague’s salary ‘would be addressed’. The issue of salary discrepancies could prove particularly problematic for Today, which has been hit by allegations of sexism in recent months. In May, Ms Montague, who is the show’s second longest-serving presenter, is understood to have been one of two stars who complained about the decision to have an all-male team hosting the show the day after the General Election. A BBC spokesman said: ‘We wouldn’t comment on individual staff or discuss their contracts through newspapers.’ Ms Maitlis, Ms Minchin and Ms Montague all declined to comment.