‘All judges should be on equal pay’: Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon enter pay gap row after it emerged judges Simon Cowell and David Walliams ‘earn more than DOUBLE their salary’
Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon have allegedly been drawn into a gender pay gap dispute as Simon Cowell and David Walliams are paid more than double their salary.
The radio presenter, 49, and singer, 42, are said to be unhappy with the fact they earn so much less even though they take on the same role, with a source telling MailOnline it is ‘shocking’ that this is the case.
An industry source hit out: ‘In 2020 all judges should be on equal pay. After 14 years of service by Amanda and 8 years of service by Alesha it’s shocking that both girls are paid less than David. Why, because he’s a man?’
‘All judges should be on equal pay’: Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon entered pay gap row on Tuesday as judges Simon Cowell and David Walliams ‘earn more than DOUBLE their salary’
According to a report from The Sun on Tuesday, Amanda -who took on the role of Head Judge in Simon’s absence during the recent series, earns around £700,000 while Alesha is said to make £450,000.
Meanwhile, it was alleged that David re-negotiated his contract for the show and is now earning more than £1.5 million for his appearance.
Simon, who helped create the show, is reportedly being paid a staggering £2.5 million for his part on the show, though Ashley Banjo took over his seat for the most recent series following his back injury.
A source speaking to the publication claimed that Simon was unaware his wage was so much higher than his fellow judges, but that everyone feels he ‘deserves’ the fee.
Row: An industry source told MailOnline, ‘All judges should be on equal pay. After 14 years of service by Amanda and 8 years of service by Alesha it’s shocking that both girls are paid less’
Earnings: It was claimed Amanda -who took on the role of Head Judge in Simon’s absence during the recent series, earns around £700,000 while Alesha is said to make £450,000
They claimed: ‘Everyone is in agreement Simon deserves his wage as he’s the boss, but there seems no obvious explanation as to why David should be paid more than the women.
‘It’s madness a bloke should be paid considerably more than a woman for doing identical jobs.’
Adding that they bring different things to the show, the source went on: ‘Obviously they’re not happy and given Amanda, in particular, is so passionate about standing up for what’s right, she won’t let this lie.’
Difference: By comparison, it was alleged David re-negotiated his contract and is now earning more than £1.5 million, while show creator Simon is said to earn £2.5 million
The source also claimed that Amanda was keen to fight the gender pay gap between the quartet.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Amanda, Alesha, Simon, and David for comment, and has also approached Britain’s Got Talent spokespeople.
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Amanda addressed the discrepancies between their pay, saying she and Alesha deserve ‘the same’ as their male counterparts.
She said: ‘Yes, I do feel Alesha and I should be paid the same as Simon Cowell and David Walliams. Because why is their value higher than ours? I don’t understand it.’
Fighting back: In a recent interview, Amanda addressed the discrepancies between their pay, saying she and Alesha deserve ‘the same’ as the male judges (pictured with Ashley Banjo)