John Humphrys, the host of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, was last night caught up in the corporation’s gender pay row after a leaked conversation between him and North America editor Jon Sopel was made public.

Humphrys, 74, made comments in an off-air discussion that were caught on a microphone before co-presenting the radio show with former China Editor Carrie Gracie on Monday.

Gracie had the evening before resigned from her role as she accused the BBC of gender pay discrimination. She had also raised that some of the corporation’s higher earning men should take pay cuts, after learning they were earning more than her. Gracie earns £135,000 while Sopel is paid as much as £249,000.