Tamzin Outhwaite has hit out at the BBC for failing to pay men and women equally.
The actress will soon reprise her role as Mel Owen in EastEnders after 15 years away, but with the BBC having been forced to publish the differences in cast pay, she is not returning quietly.
Horrified by the pay gap, Tamzin has demanded that the female stars of the show are paid as just as much as the male actors.
She told the Mail on Sunday’s You magazine: “The one thing we need to sort out is the pay gap between men and women, which has completely shocked me.
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“I think we all knew about it but it was never out in the open. Now it is and we can see it, it’s time to make a change.”
The BBC was forced to release figures of its top staff members’ earnings, including the stars of EastEnders.
It was discovered that Ian Beale actor Adam Woodyatt and Mick Carter star Danny Dyer were being paid more than any of the actresses on the show.
They were taking home between £200,000 and £249,999 per year for their roles.
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In comparison, female stars like Letitia Dean, Tameka Empson and Gillian Taylforth were all paid between £150,000 and £199,999.
The Director General of the BBC, Lord Hall, has vowed to close the pay gap by 2020.