Louise Minchin returns to BBC Breakfast with book which slams show as 'sexist'

24 May 2023 , 13:00

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Louise Minchin returns to BBC Breakfast with book which slams show as 'sexist'

Louise Minchin returned to BBC Breakfast today to plug her new book after quitting the show in 2021.

The mum-of-two, 54, fronted the programme with Dan Walker, 46, who has now gone to Channel 5.

Louise, who has spoken out about her former co-star being paid 'substantially more than her', said she 'wondered where the women were' during her interviews on BBC Breakfast while on the show today.

Speaking about her new book Fearless: Adventures With Extraordinary Women, she said: "I was sitting in make-up one day and I was doing another interview with a man, who was doing an incredible challenge and I thought: 'Mostly when I do these stories, I'm always talking to men, where are the women?'"

In her book, she claims her male co-host was always given the 'privilege' of opening BBC Breakfast, writing: "I had noticed that almost every day my male colleague was given the prestigious task of saying hello at the top of each hour, introducing the programme and doing the first interview.

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Louise Minchin returned to BBC Breakfast today after quitting the show in 2021 (BBC)

"Why was I always the second person to speak, even though I was older and more experienced? What message did it send to our female viewers?," reports MailOnline.

In the Times today Louise speaks of the reported disparity between her and Dan's salary while on the show, saying: "It was this theatre curtain opening and I was like: 'Gosh, this is not my story. This is routinely happening across the board to my female colleagues.'

"And I was deeply shocked. So at that point I'd already started the process and I was like: 'I'm an endurance athlete, I'm going to dig in and I'm going to do this.''"

The presenter used to host the show with Dan Walker (BBC)

Louise reportedly spent years attempting to close the gap, with the help of her union.

The Mirror has contacted the BBC for comment.

Last year Dan revealed he felt "embarrassed by the amount I earn" for doing a job that he loves.

Louise said her male co-star was always given the 'privilege' of opening the show (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

The former Football Focus host left BBC Breakfast to be the new anchor for Channel 5 News.

Dan was 18th on the BBC's highest-paid list, which was revealed in July 2021, with a salary of between £295,000 and £295,999. This was for his presenting roles on the Breakfast Show and Football Focus - a role he left in April 2021 after 12 years.

Despite his healthy salary, he admitted he "hates" talking about money and that having the information put out to the public is "awful".

Victoria Johns