'BBC presenters John Humphrys and Jon Sopel are facing a backlash after mocking the gender pay gap that has divided the broadcaster.
In unguarded comments made while off-air, the Radio 4 Today show presenters are reportedly heard discussing the salary of Carrie Gracie, the BBC’s China Editor who quit the post after revealing she was being paid less than male colleagues doing the same job.
The conversation is said to have been recorded before Monday’s programme went to air, and Humphrys reportedly asks Sopel, the corporation’s North America Editor, how much of his salary he would “hand over” to Gracie to keep her at the corporation.
The 74-year-old host, who was paid between £600,000 and £649,999 in the year to April 2017, making him the BBC’s highest paid news presenter, then jokes that he’s “handed over more than you fucking earn”.
Sopel, 58, earned between £200,000-£249,999 over the same period, while Gracie’s salary was £135,000.
The exchange happened before Humphrys co-presented the programme with Gracie.'
Read more: 'Outrage' (always outrage) as John Humphrys Jokes About BBC's Gender Pay Gap - HE MUST GO!!! Yawn
