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Poldark actress Eleanor Tomlinson is 'pretty upset' by show's gender pay gap

Eleanor Tomlnson isn’t pleased about Poldark’s gener pay gap. (PA)
Eleanor Tomlnson isn’t pleased about Poldark’s gener pay gap. (PA)

Poldark actress Eleanor Tomlinson has spoken out about the gender pay gap on the BBC drama.

During an interview in Red Magazine, Eleanor, 26, said she already assumed that her wage and co-star Aidan Turner, 34, were on different wages – despite not having discussed it openly with her castmates.

‘While at the beginning that might have been OK – he was a bigger star than me – now I don’t think so,’ she stated. ‘We’re equal leads of the show, so I’d be pretty upset if the gap hadn’t closed.’

Despite the BBC coming under fire for the gender pay difference, it’s actually independent production company Mammoth Screen that set the cast’s wages.

Read more: Ruth Wilson says men should lower their wages to match women’s

Eleanor Tomlinson joins BUILD for a live interview at AOL’s Capper Street Studio in London. (PA)
Eleanor Tomlinson joins BUILD for a live interview at AOL’s Capper Street Studio in London. (PA)

A spokesperson for the company since confirmed that Eleanor does, in fact, earn less than her on-screen hubby Aidan, but wouldn’t give any details over who earned what and what the pay gap was specifically.

A spokesperson justified the pay different based on screen time per character, and because Aidan was the title lead of the show.

They said: ‘Whilst we can’t and won’t disclose the details, we do pay Aidan Turner more for playing Ross Poldark as throughout all series Ross has significantly more screen time than any other character.’

The BBC drama returns for a fourth series later this year, but isn’t the first series to come under fire for its gener pay gap. Earlier in the year, Netflix’s The Crown was slammed for paying its female lead Claire Foy less than her co-star Matt Smith, and backdated her some £200,000 in pay.

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