Wilson’s comments on the gender pay gap in the entertainment industry came shortly before the government revealed that men still earn more than women in most companies in the UK.

Government figures show that 74% of medium and large firms (classed as those with more than 250 employees) pay men higher wage rates than women. Just 15% of businesses of that size paid a higher rate to women staff, and only 11% said there was no gender pay difference amongst their staff.

This data was gathered as a result of the government’s ongoing investigation into pay inequality in the UK. By law, all UK firms with more than 250 staff must report their gender pay gap to the government by 4 April this year. A little over 1,000 firms have so far filed their salary figures, meaning that 8,000 companies have yet to comply.

Charles Cotton, senior performance and reward adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said that some companies might be planning to file their returns at the last minute to avoid too much scrutiny.

“They may be hoping that by waiting until the deadline and submitting at the same time as others that their results will get lost in the crowd,” he told BBC News. However, he said that firms had a responsibility to try and help change “societal norms”.

Images: Rex Features / Showtime

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