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Pictured: The high-profile female stars who jointly wrote to BBC boss over gender pay gap

More than 40 of the BBC’s most high-profile female personalities have called on the corporation to address its gender pay gap.

Presenters such as Fiona Bruce, Sue Barker, Clare Balding, Victoria Derbyshire and Emily Maitlis were among the signatories of a letter to BBC director general Tony Hall.

Last week, the salaries of the BBC’s highest-paid stars were published, and the list was dominated by men.

Radio 2 host Chris Evans, who is paid between £2.2 million and £2.25 million, is the BBC’s top earner, while the highest-paid woman, Strictly co-host Claudia Winkleman, earns between £450,000 and £500,000 a year.

The report revealed that two-thirds of personalities who are paid more than £150,000 are male.

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In their letter, the female presenters and reporters wrote: ‘The pay details released in the Annual report showed what many of us have suspected for many years… that women at the BBC are being paid less than men for the same work.

‘You have said that you will “sort” the gender pay gap by 2020, but the BBC has known about the pay disparity for years. We all want to go on the record to call upon you to act now.’

The letter was organised by Jane Garvey, presenter of Radio 4 programme Woman’s Hour, who said: ’It is fairness that we are in pursuit of here, not enormous pay rises.’

In response to the letter, Lord Hall said work was under way to close disparities between how much men and women are paid at the corporation.