The BBC's China editor Carrie Gracie has resigned from her post, citing pay inequality with male colleagues.
In an open letter, Ms Gracie - who has been at the BBC for more than 30 years - accused the corporation of having a "secretive and illegal pay culture".
She said the BBC was facing a "crisis of trust", after it was revealed two-thirds of its stars earning more than £150,000 were male.
The BBC said there was "no systemic discrimination against women".
Ms Gracie said she left her role as editor of the corporation's Beijing bureau last week, but would remain with the BBC.
She said she would return to her former post in the TV newsroom "where I expect to be paid equally".
In the open letter, published by Buzzfeed News, Ms Gracie - a China specialist who is fluent in Mandarin - said "the BBC belongs to you, the licence fee payer.
"I believe you have a right to know that it is breaking equality law and resisting pressure for a fair and transparent pay structure."
In July last year, the BBC was forced to reveal the 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% more" than its two female counterparts.
US editor Jon Sopel earned £200,000-£249,999, it was revealed, while Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen earned £150,000-£199,999.
Ms Gracie was not on the list, meaning her salary was less than £150,000.
A letter calling for equal pay - published in the Telegraph - was later signed by both Ms Gracie and BBC Europe editor, Katya Adler.
Equal pay
In her open letter, Ms Gracie said: "The Equality Act 2010 states that men and women doing equal work must receive equal pay.
"But last July I learned that in the previous financial year, the two men earned at least 50% more than the two women.
"Despite the BBC's public insistence that my appointment demonstrated its commitment to gender equality, and despite my own insistence that equality was a condition of taking up the post, my managers had yet again judged that women's work was worth much less than men's."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Carrie Gracie returned to Beijing in 2014 after several years' absence
Ms Gracie said she asked for the four international editors to be paid equally.
"Instead the BBC offered me a big pay rise which remained far short of equality," she added.
"I believe I am very well paid already - especially as someone working for a publicly funded organisation.
"I simply want the BBC to abide by the law and value men and women equally."
She said "patience and good will are running out" among female staff.
Industry support
BBC media editor Amol Rajan said Ms Gracie's resignation was a "big, big headache" for the corporation.
He said while the BBC has promised to address pay inequality, Ms Gracie's charge was those words were "hollow".
Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said it was "no surprise" that Ms Gracie was not prepared to stay silent about the "scourge of unequal pay" at the BBC.
"[The letter] makes it clear what a difficult decision it has been to speak out about what she calls a crisis of trust at the BBC, but why it is vital that the British public are clear about why she has been forced to resign her post."
On Twitter, many people, including BBC journalists, have expressed support for Ms Gracie using the hashtag #IStandWithCarrie, echoing the #BBCWomen hashtag that was prominent last summer.
'No systemic discrimination'
In a statement, a BBC spokeswoman said "fairness in pay" at the corporation "is vital".
"A significant number of organisations have now published their gender pay figures showing that we are performing considerably better than many and are well below the national average.
"Alongside that, we have already conducted a independent judge led audit of pay for rank and file staff which showed 'no systemic discrimination against women'.
"A separate report for on air staff will be published in the not too distant future."
Last year, a report published by the BBC found there was a 10.7% gender pay gap in favour of men when the mean average hourly pay rates were compared.
Director general Lord Hall pledged to close the gap by 2020, saying the corporation should be "an exemplar of what can be achieved when it comes to pay, fairness, gender and representation".
One of the BBC’s most senior journalists has resigned from her post in protest at the gender pay gap, accusing the corporation of continuing a “secretive and illegal” culture of unequal salaries.
Carrie Gracie, who has been the BBC’s China editor since 2013, claimed the corporation is “breaking equality law” in its dealings with staff, and adopting a “bunker mentality” which is failing to address the significant pay gap.
Referring to the “indefensible” difference in pay between men and women, in part revealed in a July report, Gracie said she now felt obliged to speak out after private attempts to convince executives to treat her fairly failed.
The high-profile public resignation is the most embarrassing moment yet for the BBC in the months since the pay gap was revealed, and comes on the eve of her scheduled appearance presenting Radio 4's Today Programme.
In a letter addressed to BBC Audiences, Gracie alleged that up to 200 women had filed pay complaints and warned licence fee-payers that, should the corporation fail to deal with the “shocking” pay gap effectively, it risked “wasting your licence fee on an unwinnable court fight against female staff”.
Gracie, who will leave her position in China to return to the BBC news room, claimed that male international editors are paid at least 50 per cent more than women doing the same job.
The BBC has tonight been plunged into a huge and damaging row over women's pay, as one of its senior journalists quit her role with a furious broadside at the corporation's 'illegal and secretive' pay culture.
Carrie Gracie, 55, who has worked for the BBC for 30 years, resigned her post as China Editor with a scathing 1,400-word open letter on her blog declaring 'enough is enough' and accusing the corporation of widespread pay discrimination.
She was immediately supported by scores of prominent BBC figures, including Emily Maitlis, Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Jane Garvey.
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Carrie Gracie, one of the BBC's top female journalists, has quit in a row over the gender pay gap
The presenter is passionate about closing the gender pay gap. On November 10 last year, known as 'equal pay day' the presenter tweeted about the pay disparity 31 times
BBC Sport presenter Clare Balding said the letter was for 'everyone who loves and values the BBC from one of its finest journalists'
Newnight anchor Emily Maitlis shared the blog saying this was 'Carrie Gracie's story in her own words'
BBC sport presenter Gabby Logan said 'there is nothing more clear cut than Carrie's request'
Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark was 'outstanding and principled' and that she was 'proud to stand with her'
Miss Gracie, 55, said she and her female colleagues have felt 'trapped' since the controversial pay disclosures last summer, and that the BBC has 'attempted a botched solution' to address the gender pay gap.
She also revealed that she has left her position in China and will instead return to her role in the BBC News Channel newsroom in the UK where she said she 'expect[s] to be paid equally'.
Citing a lack of 'trust' in how the BBC is handling what she terms a pay 'crisis', she said she had 'abruptly' left the Beijing bureau last week after four years.
She will appear as a guest presenter, alongside John Humphrys on BBC Radio 4's flagship Today show this morning.
The presenter, who became the BBC's first China editor in 2013, has also revealed how she turned down a £45,000 pay rise on her £135,000 salary to stay in her role.
The BBC pay audit, carried out by PwC and Eversheds, did not include senior managers, on-air editors, presenters or correspondents, and Miss Gracie said these were the jobs where women face the largest pay gaps.
The pay disclosure showed that the BBC’s North America editor Jon Sopel and Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen both earned more than £150,000 last year.
Sopel, who has been in the role since 2014, was paid between £200,000 and £249,999, while Bowen was in the bracket below, earning up to £199,999. Miss Gracie’s name did not appear on the list, nor did that of BBC Europe editor Katya Adler.
BBC Women, a group of more than 150 broadcasters and producers, said: 'It is hugely regrettable that an outstanding journalist like Carrie Gracie feels she has no option but to resign from her post because the BBC has not valued her equally. Up to 200 women that we know of in various grades and roles have made pay complaints.'
Hundreds of senior BBC women have pledged their support for Miss Gracie.
After the news broke #IStandWithCarrie trended on Twitter as social media users and fellow BBC staff showed their support for the broadcaster.
The Scottish journalist (pictured here in 2009) was immediately supported by scores of prominent BBC figures following her letter
BBC news anchor Naga Munchetty said Miss Gracie was 'a woman I already greatly admire - now even more so'
Sarah Montague, presenter of Radio 4 Today's show said 'Gracie is brave and brilliant'
BBC 5live presenter Emma Barnett said '2018 marks 100 years since the first women in this country won the vote, and yet women are still fighting for equal pay for equal work'
BBC journalist Jane Hill said Miss Gracie was 'superb' and her letter was for 'women of any age in any workplace'
Carrie Gracie has stepped down from her editor role and has been described as being 'brilliant' and 'relentless' by a colleague
Miss Gracie's 1,400-word letter published on her blog tonight, also explained how she had discovered the BBC's male international editors 'earned at least 50 per cent more' than the female ones.
The timing of her damning indictment will be uncomfortable for BBC bosses, as she has recently been standing in as a presenter on Radio 4's Today programme and is due to do the same this week.
Miss Gracie (pictured here in 2009) has said that she and her female colleagues have felt 'trapped' since the pay disclosures last year
Addressing the letter to the BBC audience, she wrote: 'With great regret, I have left my post as China editor to speak out publicly on a crisis of trust at the BBC.
'The BBC belongs to you, the licence fee payer. I believe you have a right to know that it is breaking equality law and resisting pressure for a fair and transparent pay structure.'
How the BBC's revelations about its top earners exploded into a scandal over the gender pay gap In July 2017, the BBC came under fire for paying its male staff significantly more than their female counterparts when their pay figures were released. The 96 highest earning stars at the Corporation were revealed, of them 62 were male and 34 were female, the top seven highest earning stars were all men. Men earned an average of £295,000 and women earned an average of £210,000 - a nine per cent difference. Radio presenter Chris Evans topped the list with a salary of between £2.2million and £2.25 whereas the top female presenter Claudia Winkleman earned between £450,000 and £500,000. It lead to calls from Culture Secretary Karen Bradley to call for the public service broadcaster to 'lead the way' in closing the gender pay gap both on and off screen. Apprentice star and Conservative Peer Karren Brady also spoke out on the issue saying 'The BBC is publicly funded so people want to know where their licence fee is spent and who gets what. Gary Lineker earns £1.8 m, while his female equivalent, Clare Balding, is on £199,000. He is not overpaid, she is shockingly underpaid. A lot of the men should be forcing the BBC to pay more.' Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden also blasted the BBC for their gender pay gap. But revealed that she is paid the same salary as her fellow Dragons. During an appearance on ITV's Loose Women she said: 'I'm not a woman in the Den, I'm a Dragon, we're all there to invest, it has nothing to do with gender.
She went on to blast the BBC's response to the controversy surrounding its publication of talent pay above £150,000, particularly surrounding the gender pay gap and the vast salaries for the top presenters.
She wrote: 'The outgoing Director of News said last month, 'We did a full equal pay audit which showed there is equal pay across the BBC.' But this was not a full audit.
The BBC's top earners finally revealed 1. Chris Evans £2.2m - £2.25m 2. Gary Lineker £1.75m - £1.8m 3. Graham Norton £850,0000 - £899,999 4. Jeremy Vine £700,000 - £749,999 5. John Humphrys £600,000 - £649,999 6. Huw Edwards £550,000 - £599,999 7. Steve Wright £500,000 - £549,999 = 8. Claudia Winkleman £450,000 - £499,999 = 8. Matt Baker £450,000 - £499,999 = 9. Nicky Campbell £400,000 - £449,999 = 9. Andrew Marr £400,000 - £449,999 = 9. Stephen Nolan £400,000 - £449,999 = 9. Alan Shearer £400,000 - £449,999 =9. Alex Jones £400,000 - £449,000 10. Fiona Bruce £350,000 - £399,999
'It excluded the women with the biggest pay gaps. The BBC has now begun a 'talent review' but the women affected have no confidence in it. Up to two hundred BBC women have made pay complaints only to be told repeatedly there is no pay discrimination at the BBC. Can we all be wrong? I no longer trust our management to give an honest answer.'
She claimed 'up to 200 women' have made complaints in the last six months since the BBC disclosed the pay details of its top earners.
She added: 'It is not men earning more because they do more of the jobs which pay better. It is men earning more in the same jobs or jobs of equal value,' she said in her letter.
Miss Gracie, who mentioned the difficulty of living 5,000 miles away from her two teenage children during her time in Beijing, has worked for the BBC for 30 years.
In September 2011, she left the BBC to undergo cancer treatment, returning to the BBC News Channel the following May.
However, when James Harding - BBC director of news and current affairs - offered her the role of China Editor in 2013, she said he insisted that she be paid the same as her male counterparts.
Miss Gracie has received floods of support from other journalists since the news broke earlier this evening.
News of the departure was swiftly retweeted by senior BBC journalists including Newsnight presenters Emily Maitlis and Kirsty Wark, as well as Victoria Derbyshire.
Soon after 134 female journalists issued a statement saying they 'wholeheartedly support' Miss Gracie and that the BBC must act quickly on the gender pay gap.
The journalist (pictured with Simon McCoy) will return to her role in the BBC News Channel newsroom in the UK
In 2011, Miss Gracie took eight months off air while having treatment for cancer. She returned in 2012 after losing her hair to chemotherapy . Pictured in 2012 with Simon McCoy
Returning to air after suffering from cancer, collegue Simon McCoy said of Miss Gracie 'She is indeed an inspiration. A brave lady indeed. To do what she is doing today takes true guts'
BBC workers also tweeted commending Miss Gracie.
Maria Byrne, a senior BBC producer called Miss Gracie 'the best of the BBC' and that she was 'talented, hardworking and always asking tough questions'.
BBC News North America Correspondent, James Cook said Miss Gracie stepping down as 'a huge loss to the BBC' and described her as 'highly principled and extremely talented'.
Rachel Kennedy, an editor at BBC News said it was a 'huge loss' and she was 'always proud to work with Miss Gracie.
Josephine McDermott, who works on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show also called losing the China editor a 'tragedy' and that Miss Gracie was 'more of an inspiration than anything'.
Woman's Hour presenter Jane Garvey wrote: 'Brave, brilliant @BBCCarrie please read her letter as she resigns as China editor over #equalpay'.
She later added 'I'm not brave enough to resign, I'm not pretending otherwise.'
Today programme host Sarah Montague added: '@BBCCarrie Gracie is brave and brilliant. Not sure what is so hard to understand about #equalpay for equal work. #IstandwithCarrie'
Radio 5Live presenter Rachel Burden said: 'Heading for bed but so heartened to see such support for our brilliant colleague @BBCCarrie in her fight for #equalpay.'
Maria Byrne, senior Europe producer at BBC News, posted: 'Worked as @BBCCarrie's producer for 3 years. She's the best of the BBC: talented, hard working, & always asking tough questions. #bbcwomen for #equalpay'
BBC 5live presenter said she heartened to see support for Miss Gracie, who she described as 'brilliant'
BBC News North America Correspondent, James Cook said Miss Gracie stepping down as 'a huge loss to the BBC' and described her as 'highly principled and extremely talented
Maria Byrne, a senior BBC producer called Miss Gracie 'the best of the BBC' and that she was 'talented, hardworking and always asking tough questions'
Rachel Kennedy, an editor at BBC News said it was a 'huge loss' and she was 'always proud to work with Miss Gracie
Josephine McDermott, who works on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show also called losing the China editor a 'tragedy' and that Miss Gracie was 'more of an inspiration than anything'
Jane Garvey wrote: 'Brave, brilliant @BBCCarrie please read her letter as she resigns as China editor over #equalpay' and later added 'I'm not brave enough to resign, I'm not pretending otherwise'
Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman commented: 'Brilliant letter by @BBCCarrie & a tragedy for the @BBC to lose such a talented China Editor #equalpay'
Gabby Logan wrote: 'There is nothing more clear cut than Carrie's request. Equal pay for equal work. #ItandWithCarrie #Equality'
BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty said: 'A woman I already greatly admired - now even more so. BBC China Editor Carrie Gracie steps down over over unequal pay.'
Countryfile presenter Ellie Harrison added: 'How disheartening that it has had to come to this. The distinction must be clear: it's about equal pay. Not 'fair pay' and not a 'gender pay gap'.'
Kirsty Wark wrote: '@BBCCarrie is an outstanding and principled journalist and I am proud to stand with her #bbcwomen #equalpay #istandwithcarrie'
BBC Front Row and Newswatch presenter Samira Ahmed commented: 'Equal pay for equal work of equal value is the law. If it's happening to #BBCWomen, it's happening to you. #istandwithcarrie '
BBC journalist Jane Hill wrote: 'This is why my superb colleague @BBCcarrie has resigned as China Editor. This is for women of any age in any workplace.'
Clare Balding posted: 'This is a letter to everyone who loves and values the BBC from one of its finest journalists. @BBCCarrie has resigned as China editor. Please read and retweet. It's time for #equalpay.'
Channel 4 news presenter Cathy Newman said it was a 'tragedy' for the BBC to lose such as talented journalist.
Miss Gracie's BBC colleague Emily Maitlis retweeted Channel 4 News International Editor who said the BBC did not respect their China editor
Jackie Long, Channel 4's social affairs editor called the letter 'astonishingly brave'
Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith called the letter 'devastating' and said that Miss Gracie had done a 'brilliant job' as China editor
Kate Silverton added: 'A brave & principled stand over #equalpay @BBCCarrie who has written a letter to the #BBC audience published in @thetimes #bbcwomen #equalpay #istandwithcarrie.'
Jackie Long, Channel 4's social affairs editor called the letter 'astonishingly brave'.
Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith called the letter 'devastating' and said that Miss Gracie had done a 'brilliant job' as China editor.
Ms Smith added: 'BBC don't deserve talent like her if they can't get their act together on #equalpay' and even suggested she could replace Today show present John Humphrys.
Sophie Walker, leader of the Women's Equality Party accused the BBC of 'cynically engineering its pay review to list top male earners separately and fake a 9 per cent pay gap.
Ms Walker added: 'Carried Gracie has shine a light on the reality gap. Bravo. We need an equal pay audit with teeth [sic].'
Sophie Walker, leader of the Women's Equality Party accused the BBC of 'cynically engineering its pay review to list top male earners separately and fake a 9 per cent pay gap
In the letter, Miss Gracie wrote: 'I accepted the challenges while stressing to my bosses that I must be paid equally with my male peers.
'Like many other BBC women, I had long suspected that I was routinely paid less, and at this point in my career, I was determined not to let it happen again. Believing that I had secured pay parity with men in equivalent roles, I set off for Beijing.
'In the past four years, the BBC has had four international editors - two men and two women. The Equality Act 2010 states that men and women doing equal work must receive equal pay.
Carrie Gracie's clash with Lord Foulkes at the height of the expenses scandal In 2012, at the height of the expenses scandal Miss Gracie famously revealed her salary live on air at the request of an MP. The transcript was as follows. Lord Foulkes: 'You are not at all sorry to interrupt me, you are quite happy to interrupt me because you do it constantly, every time an MP comes on you constantly harass them. 'MPs are going around the country, in their constituencies, doing a great deal of work. You never focus on that. 'They are paid £64,000 a year. How much are you paid for coming on television and harassing MPs and other people in this way. 'Can't you tell me how much are you paid out of the licence fee?' Ms Gracie: 'My salary is...' Lord Foulkes: 'Yes, Freedom of Information. What is it?' Ms Gracie: 'My salary is £92,000...' Lord Foulkes: '£92,000? So you're paid nearly twice as much as an MP to come on and talk nonsense on TV?' Ms Gracie: 'Every single call I make, I make from my own phone. I don't ever make a personal call from the BBC because I understand what public sector money is about.' Lord Foulkes: 'And my understanding is that [Radio 4 Today programme presenter] John Humphrys is paid hundreds of thousands of pounds, [Newsnight presenter] Jeremy Paxman is paid nearly a million pounds to come on TV and sneer at democracy and undermine democracy. 'The vast majority of MPs are not abusing the system, are working hard in their constituency, are being undermined by you and are devastated because of the kind of publicity you are giving them and you are paid a lot more than them to do a lot less important work.' Ms Gracie: 'We'll see what the public make of it, Lord Foulkes.'
'But last July I learned that in the previous financial year, the two men earned at least 50 per cent more than the two women.
'Despite the BBC's public insistence that my appointment demonstrated its commitment to gender equality, and despite my own insistence that equality was a condition of taking up the post, my managers had yet again judged that women's work was worth much less than men's.'
In July, Miss Gracie co-signed a letter with 43 other female stars addressed to BBC Director General Tony Hall.
The letter demanded that Mr Hall 'act now' and not 'wait until 2020'.
Forty-four female BBC staff signed the letter to Tony Hall including Clare Balding, Sue Barker and Fiona Bruce
Miss Gracie sent several tweets on November 10 last year, a day recognised as equal pay day by feminist groups. It occurs on this date as 'women effectively stop earning relative to men on a day in November' according to the Fawcett society.
The journalist sent or retweeted 31 tweets on that day, and has only posted to her Twitter account four times since in the two months since.
On the day she tweeted: 'Who else is amazed that in 2017 there are still people out there who think women shouldn't be asking for equal pay?'
She also said: 'Thank you to all the men standing shoulder to shoulder with women on #equalpayday'.
Miss Gracie tweeted 31 times on equal pay day this year to show her support for fair pay at the BBC and beyond
Miss Gracie thanked the men who stand 'shoulder to shoulder' with women on equal pay day
Miss Gracie said 'we're not going away' over the equal pay argument at the BBC
Earlier tonight BBC spokesman said: 'Fairness in pay is vital. A significant number of organisations have now published their gender pay figures showing that we are performing considerably better than many and are well below the national average.
'Alongside that, we have already conducted an independent judge led audit of pay for rank and file staff which showed 'no systemic discrimination against women'.
'A separate report for on air staff will be published in the not too distant future.'
Miss Gracie famously revealed her salary live on air in a 2012 interview with Lord Foulkes over the expenses scandal
Miss Gracie's ex-husband is a Chinese rock drummer, who speaks no English. The Guardian wrote in 2016 that he lives in Richmond looking after their children while she spends at least half of the year in China.
In 2009, she shocked viewers and her BBC bosses when revealing on-air that her salary was £92,000, in response to a question from an MP.
In 2015, the BBC used Miss Gracie as an example in a House of Lords in inquiry into women in news and current affairs broadcasting to show that women were well represented in the Corporation.
