Newsnight's Emily Maitlis jokes tech industry will 'soon be able to afford a BBC man'

Newsnight presenter was absent from BBC pay list, suggesting she does not earn over £150,000

The Newsnight presenter earns less than co-host Evan Davis (Getty)

Emily Maitlis has made a public swipe at the BBC’s gender pay gap.

The Newsnight presenter told guests at a tech industry dinner: “You’re doing so well, soon you’ll be able to afford a BBC man.”

Her barbed comments were a response to the BBC publishing its annual pay report, which showed women made up only a third of those in the channel’s high earning £250,000-plus pay bracket.

Ms Maitlis, who was named Broadcast Journalist of the Year 2017, was absent from the list, suggesting she does not earn over £150,000.

However, her co-host Evan Davis was on the list, earning up to £299,999 a year.

Alex Armitage, her agent, tweeted to say her exclusion from the list was “beyond madness and being dealt with”.

Ms Maitlis is believed to be off air at the moment as she has yet to sign a new contract with the BBC.

Bosses at the Corporation tried to offer her and other staff substantial pay rises ahead of the report’s release, The Sun reports.

The paper quoted a source as saying: “They made her an offer and she did not accept it. As it stands, her future hangs in the balance.

“Emily is totally furious as she feels like she has been lied to. For her not to be on the list is unbelievable.”

But Mirror Online quoted another source as saying: “Emily is on a rolling contract which is up for renewal.

“She is highly valued and we are very hopeful she will sign a new deal shortly.”

Solicitors have warned the BBC may be in breach of equal pay laws, potentially exposing the Corporation to sex discrimination suits.

The seven individuals paid more than half a million pounds a year are all male, and several female stars earn significantly less than their male co-presenters on the same show.