80s heart-throb still on song
JEREMY Vine has revealed he was “appalled” to learn how much more money he received than Emily Maitlis when the BBC pay list first came out.
In 2017 the corporation was made to reveal the salaries of its biggest stars for the first time.
Father-of-two Vine, 54, was shown to be in the top five, earning £700,000-£749,999. But Newsnight host Maitlis was not even on the list.
Vine said: “At the time
I was doing five jobs
– Points Of View, Panorama, Eggheads, election graphics and
Radio 2.
“That’s quite a lot of work. Each of those was negotiated separately and this was the first time anyone had added them all up.
“It’s not like a salary. You’re paid for these jobs and if you don’t do them you’re not paid.
But to see it was a painful thing. I think I was number four.
“I’ve dropped like a stone since then so I guess I shouldn’t be pleased about that.”
Referring to the fact
Emily was earning less than £150,000 despite them both working on election coverage together, he added: “I should say I really was appalled at the disparity with my female colleagues, because I did not know anything about that.
“My female colleagues have got together a very powerful WhatsApp group and they’re campaigning, led by [Woman’s Hour presenter] Jane Garvey and one or two others, so I’m just following that lead.
“If they were to say it’s sorted, I would believe it’s sorted. They haven’t said that yet.”
Vine has taken a pay cut and also works fewer hours at the BBC because of work at Channel 5. His earnings now stand in the £290,000 to £294,999 bracket.
Vine said he chose to take a pay cut: “No one said, ‘You have to take it.’ I just wanted to take one. My contract was coming up.
“They clearly wanted me to take one. I can’t remember who raised it first.”
Vine has previously said he can understand how the relationship “curse” happens on hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing and recounted on his Channel 5 show how he had looked on his professional dance partner Karen Clifton as a “goddess” when he competed with her in 2015.
But he revealed that his wife, the BBC News presenter Rachel Schofield, quickly brought him down to earth.
She quoted Fawlty Towers, telling him: “For goodness’ sake Basil, do you really think a woman like that would be interested in a brilliantined stick insect like you?” old perform at 1980s Hits On The Pitch in Bramhall, near Stockport.
Kemp has been touring the UK spinning hits from the decade of his band’s