A judge at the London Central Employment Tribunal has ruled in favour of Samira Ahmed which see her triumph in winning a sex discrimination and equal pay claim against the BBC.
The Newswatch presenter highlighted a “600% pay gap” in a row over unequal fees. She had claimed she was being paid a sixth of what Jeremy Vine received for a similar show.
The presenter’s case focussed on her contracts on the BBC News channel programme Newswatch, which she has presented since 2012.
She compared the £440 per episode she pocketed to Jeremy Vine’s salary of up to £3,000 for an episode of Points Of View.
The BBC had argued it was justified due to differences in news and entertainment shows.
Samira, 51, who also hosts Radio 4’s Front Row, said in a statement: “I love my job on Newswatch despite it being difficult and challenging.
“I know that it is an important part of demonstrating the BBC service to all its audiences and the licence fee payers.
“I have a sense of pride working for a public service broadcaster which seeks to represent the diversity of Britain and its licence fee payers.
“I have a sense of pride working for a public service broadcaster that seeks to represent the diversity of Britain and its licence fee payers.
“On the back of my BBC ID card are written the BBC values which include ‘we respect each other and celebrate our diversity’ and ‘we take pride in delivering quality and value for money’.
“I just ask why the BBC thinks I am worth only a sixth of the value of the work of a man for doing a very similar job.”
Samira has been among the female talents at the BBC to voice their concerns over pay equality following the scandal over former China editor Carrie Gracie’s salary.
