Tom Chambers has issued a statement, after facing a backlash for comments he made about the BBC gender pay gap.
Earlier this week, Tom spoke out about the fact his ‘Casualty’ co-star Derek Thompson had been named the highest-paid BBC actor in a new report, which also highlighted the fact that only a third of the corporation’s top earners are women.
After insisting that Derek had “earned his credits” as an actor, he then said: “My wife works really hard as a stay-at-home mum, but I’m the only one bringing in a salary for our family.
“Many men’s salaries aren’t just for them, it’s for their wife and children, too.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, his comments were called out by many on social media and Tom has now insisted he’s by no means “an advocate” for “the gender pay gap”.
In a statement issued to HuffPost UK, he said: “I am completely mortified by the stories that have run today and didn’t mean to offend anyone by my comments which have been taken out of context from a conversation I had at a book launch.
“I in no way advocate the gender pay gap and I was explaining that I thought it had stemmed from that past, and shouldn’t be how things are now.
“I truly believe that change needs to happen.”
Over the weekend, 44 of the BBC’s most high-profile women co-signed an open letter addressed to director general Tony Hall, calling for more equality with regards to how much women at the broadcaster are paid.