Poldark actress would be 'pretty upset' by pay gap

Eleanor Tomlinson plays Demelza Poldark on the show

Poldark actress Eleanor Tomlinson said she would be "pretty upset" if she and co-star Aidan Turner were not paid the same.

But it has been confirmed by the show's production company that this is actually the case.

Mammoth Screen defended the decision, saying Turner had "significantly more screen time than any other character".

A representative for Tomlinson told the BBC that she wishes to make no further comment.

The question of whether there was a pay gap on Poldark, which is shown on BBC One, came up during Tomlinson's interview with Red Magazine.

Asked whether she thought she was paid the same as her co-star, she said "my guess is no".

Tomlinson and her co-star Aidan Turner aren't paid the same in Poldark

Tomlinson, who plays Ross Poldark's wife Demelza on the show, added that she thought this was unfair.

"While at the beginning that might have been OK, he was a bigger star than me, now I don't think so".

"We're equal leads of the show, so I'd be pretty upset if the gap hadn't closed."

A spokeswoman for Mammoth Screen said: "Whilst we can't and won't disclose the details, we do pay Aidan Turner more for playing Ross Poldark as throughout all series Ross has significantly more screen time than any other character."

Representatives for Tomlinson said in response: "There will not be any further comment."

Matt Smith was paid more than Claire Foy for The Crown

This is not the first time that equal pay has been raised an issue within the entertainment industry.

In March it was revealed The Crown's Claire Foy was paid less than co-star Matt Smith, despite playing main character Queen Elizabeth II.

The actress later got an apology from the makers of the Netflix show, Left Bank Pictures.

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