‘QI’ host Sandi Toksvig has revealed she is paid 40% of what the programme’s former host Stephen Fry used to earn for his work on the comedy panel show.

The 60-year-old took over from Fry in October 2016 and her third series as host of the BBC hit is set to begin on Monday.

Toksvig was asked a question about her pay on ‘QI’ by an audience member at the Women’s Equality Party conference, where she gave a speech on feminist economics.

She said: “I have recently discovered I get 40% of what Stephen used to get.  And I get the same pay as Alan Davies, who is not the host.

“I temper this with the fact that I love the show and I’m the first woman to host such a show.”

Following the question-and-answer session, Toksvig, co-founder of the Women’s Equality Party, added: “I love ‘QI’ and the brilliant team who produce it.

“John Lloyd and the team champion women on the show. I was asked a question at the Women’s Equality Party conference that I felt I had to answer, because the issues with equal pay and the gender pay gap cut right across the media and all industries and all areas of life.

“Until now I had held back from talking about this because this is not about me.

“However, the lack of transparency around pay is a big part of the problem and I hope that being open, I can support women across the country whose work is undervalued.”

A BBC spokesperson told media that the the matter was one for ‘QI’s’ independent production company, Talkback, owned by Fremantle.

Fremantle did not immediately respond to HuffPost UK’s request for comment.