Libby Purves (pictured) said that the BBC ‘clings on’ to stars such as Gary Lineker and Graham Norton
Broadcaster Libby Purves has branded male BBC presenters ‘vain and greedy’ as she blasted the corporation’s ‘craven fear of losing talent’ for driving pay to ‘insane’ levels.
The former Radio 4 presenter said that the corporation ‘clings on’ to stars including Graham Norton and Gary Lineker ‘like frightened toddlers to their teddies’ and fail to ‘hunt widely’ for alternative presenters.
She accused BBC bosses of shying away from telling the highest-paid stars that their salaries will shrink because they are concerned about them quitting.
Having said that she would like to see director-general Lord Hall making it clear that top stars are replaceable, she told Radio Times: ‘That this never happens is because of two things.
‘One is that managers like to talk of ‘handling multi-million-pound budgets’, because that makes their own inflated pay seem good value.
‘The other is a craven fear of losing ‘talent’, and a failure to hunt widely for more. They get fixed on the idea that there can only ever be one Norton or Winkleman or Feltz or Lineker.
‘They cling on, like frightened toddlers to their teddies. In fluffy showbiz it’s a bit understandable. But news and good documentaries aren’t showbiz.’
Miss Purves, who hosted her final episode of Midweek on Radio 4 last March after more than 30 years, also spoke of Carrie Gracie’s high-profile resignation as the BBC’s China Editor in protest of unequal pay.
Referring to a series of tweets written by Newsnight presenter Evan Davies last week in light of Miss Gracie’s resignation, Miss Purves said: ‘Evan Davis tweeted over Gracie, ‘I don’t think the idea that there should be equal pay for the same work makes sense in showbiz. No junior actor working alongside Tom Cruise should expect to get the same pay.’
![BBC 'Today' program presenter John Timpson with the two women in his life, wife Pat Timpson (left) and his co-presenter Libby Purves (right) in 1959](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/16/23/4835477600000578-5277119-image-a-71_1516146082149.jpg)
BBC ‘Today’ program presenter John Timpson with the two women in his life, wife Pat Timpson (left) and his co-presenter Libby Purves (right) in 1959
![The former Radio 4 presenter mentioned BBC stars such as Claudia Winkleman and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/16/23/37856B2500000578-0-image-a-54_1516143894286.jpg)
The former Radio 4 presenter mentioned BBC stars such as Claudia Winkleman and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker (pictured)
‘Mate, you’re not in showbiz! It may be harsh to say, but nobody wants you on a red carpet! You’re an economist who did a bit of Today!’
Branding the BBC’s wounds from the pay gap ‘self-harm’, she said she believes there are many highly-paid employees, including Today presenter John Humphrys, who would do their job for lower pay.
Describing the situation as ‘awful’, Miss Purves said: ‘None of it had to happen. Some complain that the pay gap exists because women don’t negotiate.
‘I would say that it’s more about men being vain and greedy. With few exceptions (mainly in the shiny-floor-and-spangles world, inhabited by, for example, Claudia Winkleman) it’s men who drive pay to insane levels.
‘It’s men, not women, who flick their carefully tended hair and purr, like a L’Oréal ad, ‘Because I’m worth it!’
‘I told one 400k colleague that he was overpaid. He said, ‘It’s because I came from newspapers when they paid a lot, so the BBC had to match it.’ ‘Why?’ I asked, and he sidled away to talk to someone richer.
‘But really, why? He can’t act, sing or dance, isn’t pretty and – until briefed – knows no more than hundreds of other journalists.’
![Carrie Gracie (pictured) resigned as the BBC's China Editor in protest of unequal pay](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/16/23/05E74343000003E8-0-image-m-56_1516144048415.jpg)
Carrie Gracie (pictured) resigned as the BBC’s China Editor in protest of unequal pay
![BBC Radio 4 members of staff (top row) Edward Stourton, Nick Robinson, Justin Webb, Sarah Montague, (middle row) Mishal Husain, John Humphrys, Jim Naughtie, Carolyn Quinn, (bottom row) Libby Purves, Sue MacGregor and Garry Richardson at Wigmore Hall after a live broadcast](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/16/23/48355A2100000578-5277119-image-a-72_1516146085738.jpg)
BBC Radio 4 members of staff (top row) Edward Stourton, Nick Robinson, Justin Webb, Sarah Montague, (middle row) Mishal Husain, John Humphrys, Jim Naughtie, Carolyn Quinn, (bottom row) Libby Purves, Sue MacGregor and Garry Richardson at Wigmore Hall after a live broadcast