Cold Feet Fay Ripley: I am gender pay gap victim

Her comments come after her co-star James Nesbitt, 53, insisted they are all paid the same. The series, starring six key cast members, became a ratings hit when it launched 22 years ago. But in a new interview Fay, 52, who plays Jenny, said of a gender pay gap on the show: “That’s an ongoing issue.

“We can’t lie about that. I’m just saying I can’t sit here and say we’re paid the same.”

She added: “I look forward to a world where we don’t have to worry about that.”

John Thomson, 49, Hermione Norris, 51, and Robert Bathurst, 61, also star on the show, which was revived by ITV in 2016.

Original cast member Helen Baxendale, 48, has since left the series.

Previously asked whether the men earn more, James Nesbitt said in an interview: “Don’t think so. There ‘It’s an has never been chat about money. Because we’re all pretty lucky.”

The row comes days before the show returns for a new series.

In 2017 the BBC was plunged into crisis when it emerged almost all of its biggest earners were men. An investigation into salaries at the corporation also showed male staff earned nine per cent more than females.

In 1970 the Equal Pay Act made it illegal to pay sexes different amounts for the same job, but research last April showed eight out of 10 public sector bodies paid men more than women.

The BBC’s China editor Carrie Gracie became a leading campaigner for pay equality in TV last January when she resigned, citing pay inequality with male colleagues.

In an open letter, Ms Gracie – who had been at the BBC for more than 30 years – accused the corporation of having a “secretive and illegal pay culture”.

I can’t In 2017 the BBC was forced to reveal the and salaries of all employees earning more than £150,000 a year.

Ms Gracie said she was dismayed to discover the BBC’s two male international editors earned “at least 50 per cent more” than their two female counterparts.

Hollywood has also been rocked by pay gap disputes – including the revelation that Claire Foy, the Emmy-nominated star of Netflix’s The Crown, made less money than her male co-star Matt Smith.

The Time’s Up movement in Hollywood, which campaigns against sexual harrassment and pay inequality, says it has made huge strides in bringing about change.

And US network HBO revealed it has fixed all of its gender pay disparity issues.

ITV declined to comment on Fay’s claim.

source: express.co.uk