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ITV chief insists channel will never reveal stars' salaries amid Good Morning Britain pay row

Sir Peter Bazalgette said broadcaster would never discuss confidential contracts' in the wake of the BBC revelations

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ITV stars include GMB's Piers and Susanna(Image: WENN)

ITV have vowed to protect its biggest stars from having their salaries revealed amid a row over pay on the Good Morning Britain sofa.

ITV chairman Sir Peter Bazalgette said the channel would never discuss confidential contracts for anyone working at ITV in the wake of the BBC earnings being revealed.

But his comments come as GMBs Piers Morgan has been challenged over whether he earns more than Susanna Reid by BBC Breakfast rival Dan Walker.

Susanna has only said on the subject of whether her co-star gets paid more: I wouldnt know because we are not obligated to the same level of transparency.

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Sir Peter Bazalgette says salaries will not be revealed(Image: Evening Gazette)

The issue of whether Susanna and Piers have equal pay packets comes amid increased animosity between Walker and Morgan.

It comes as the gap between the two show closes with viewing figures for GMB up last month 22% year on year, although BBC Breakfast is still the number one rated show.

After Morgan chided Walker for earning up to 249,000 while his co-stars Louise Minchin and Sally Nugent earned less than 150,000, Walker hit back: We earn the same for Breakfast. When are you & Susanna releasing your GMB pay?

Walker, who also presents Football Focus, added: Were all assuming you get paid the same at GMB? Is that true?

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ITV is not a public-funded broadcaster(Image: PA)

Morgan replied: We pay our women very well over here mate. You BBC guys should try it sometime, theyre worth it.

Walker fired back: Thats great to hear but very well isnt the same as equal pay. So... stop avoiding the question. Do you & Susanna earn the same?

Defending the decision not to reveal pay of its stars, Sir Peter Bazalgette said: We take gender issues, employment and pay very seriously as a company. But we are a commercial broadcaster. The BBC is funded with public money. We would never discuss confidential contracts for anyone working at ITV.

He said 52% of ITVs 6,531 staff were female, and women accounted for 43% of its 146 senior managers.

The Mirror told yesterday how Radio 5 Lives Rachel Burden said female BBC journalists were ignored or belittled when they asked bosses if they were paid the same as their male colleagues.

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The BBC's Dan Walker had a spat with ITV's Piers Morgan(Image: BBC)

The broadcaster, who co-hosts the stations breakfast show alongside Nicky Campbell , says that she earns around 130,000 for her role, while he pockets more than 400,000.

Her comments come a week after the BBC unveiled its list of its top talent earners which showed that only one-third were women and the top seven were all men, with male co-presenters frequently earning more than their female counterparts.

BBC chief Tony Hall says change will be accelerated in response to letter from furious female presenters demanding a pay rise

Last weekend more than 40 of the BBCs most high-profile women wrote to director general Tony Hall , calling on him to urgently correct the gender gap.

He has currently committed to levelling out the pay between men and women by 2020.

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