GMTV's Kate Garraway threatens to quit over pay

Kate Garraway has apparently threatened to quit GMTV if bosses slash her wages. Pregnant Kate, whose contract is due for renewal next month, is said to be outraged that show chiefs have suggested her £280,000 salary be cut by around £70,000, according to the Daily Mirror. A source close to Garraway, who is expecting her second child next month, revealed: "Kate's agent is prepared to pull her from GMTV if they continue along these lines as the station is still hugely profitable and they're just using the credit crunch as an excuse. "GMTV is one of the only bits of ITV that still pulls in cash." GMTV is 75 per cent owned by ITV, which suffered pre-tax losses of £2.73 billion earlier this year, forcing job cuts. But Kate's co-hosts are not immune from the cuts, which could also see them have their holiday entitlement reduced by 50 per cent. Andrew Castle is already believed to have accepted a 20 per cent drop in pay, putting him on £200,000. Under a 25 per cent cut, Ben Shephard would lose around £75,000 from his £300,000 salary and Penny Smith would drop from £200,000 to £150,000. Lorraine Kelly could lose £87,000 of her £350,000 salary. A show insider said: "GMTV is saving money all over the place – in this climate presenters will be nuts not to accept what they are offered. These figures are happening across the industry. "But they are also having to work more weeks for their money. Some used to have 12 weeks off, now they are going down to six or seven." ITV stars including Simon Cowell and Ant and Dec also accept that a pay cut is imminent.

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.