‘They don’t like women who win’ – Former Irish Countryfile presenter Miriam O’Reilly wades into BBC pay gap row
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‘They don’t like women who win’ – Former Irish Countryfile presenter Miriam O’Reilly wades into BBC pay gap row

FORMER Countryfile presenter Miriam O’Reilly has said that male BBC executives “don’t like to be challenged by women” as the Beeb’s gender pay gap row intensifies.

Miriam O’Reilly – who won a landmark ‘ageism’ case against the BBC after being dropped from Countryfile in 2009 – took to Twitter on Tuesday to accuse the corporation of discriminating against female employees.

In a series of unapologetic tweets, Dublin-born O’Reilly claimed male staff at the broadcaster “don’t like women who win” and urged female workers to fight for equal wages.

The 69-year-old also claimed that BBC bosses dislike women “who won’t back down”.

O’Reilly’s comments came after China editor Carrie Gracie resigned over a ‘gender pay gap’ at the BBC.

Ms Gracie quit her £135,000-a-year job on Monday with a scathing 1,400-word open letter declaring that “enough is enough” with regards to gender discrimination at the Beeb.

The 55-year-old also claimed she turned down a £45,000 pay rise from BBC execs, insisting: “It’s not about more money – it’s about equality”.

She added: “I can't collude in my own pay discrimination.”

On Tuesday, the new Culture Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC it "must act" to address equal pay.

Meanwhile, the Equality and Human Rights Commission said it will write to the corporation over the claims of unlawful pay discrimination made by Gracie.