BBC’s John Humphrys volunteers to take pay cut amid gender pay gap controversy
Humphrys’ third voluntary pay cut at the BBC would bring his salary down to the same as his female Today co-presenter Mishal Husain
John Humphrys has offered to take a voluntary pay cut at the BBC, amid the controversy over the gender pay gap.
The presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme and BBC2’s Mastermind came under fire after a recording was leaked of him joking about “handing over” pay to Carrie Gracie, the BBC China editor who had just quit because of unequal pay.
- Today host John Humphrys slammed for “base, smug and condescending” off-air jokes over gender pay gap
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This would be Humphrys’ third voluntary pay cut at the BBC, and would bring his salary down to the same as his female Today co-presenter Mishal Husain.
“It's true I've been talking to the bosses about taking another cut,” confirmed Humphrys to the Daily Mail. “We haven't mentioned any figures. I volunteered. That seems to be entirely fair and reasonable.”
Last summer, official figures released by the BBC showed that Humphrys was paid between £600,000 and £649,000 a year for presenting Today and Mastermind.
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Following Humphrys' leaked Carrie Gracie comments, BBC journalists past and present took to Twitter to express their outrage.
Humphrys defended the conversation as “silly banter between old mates", but BBC management released a statement saying they were “deeply unimpressed” with the presenter.
