BBC will be forced to pay female stars the same as their male counterparts after a confidential legal settlement 

The BBC will be forced to pay its female stars the same as their male counterparts after a legal battle was settled out of court.

A small group of the corporation's frustrated talent will get a pay rise after a settlement was brokered by lawyers and the corporation's bosses behind the scenes.

Talent agents believe the move will now inspire others to step forward and demand higher wages, but gender equality campaigners have criticised the decision to settle, reports the Sunday Times.

It is believed the BBC preferred to come to a conclusion in this manner to avoid any bad publicity.

Equal: A group of female BBC stars have settled a legal battle to be paid the same as their male colleagues

Reportedly the Beeb had argued that male presenters should be paid more than their female counterparts because of the knowledge and experience they can bring to a role either behind or in front of the camera.

Advising the female stars was former Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly, who sued the BBC in 2009 after she was sacked from the rural news show.

O'Reilly, 59, who won her age discrimination case against the corporation, said this was not a case of the stars being greedy but more about getting what they rightly deserved.

She also explained that mounting a successful pay fight was difficult because it meant getting hold of closely guarded personal information.

She told the Sunday Times: 'The onus is on the woman to prove that she's doing the same job as the man and, since people are very protective about their job and their pay, it's very difficult to get that information.' 

While many will celebrate the news as a step in the right direction, campaigners believe that settling out of court can do more harm than good.

Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, a gender equality charity, said it meant 'pay discrimination remained hidden'.

Stars: Former Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly successfully sued the BBC and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker is a high earner expected to reveal his salary after Government pressure

The win comes as top BBC male stars including Chris Evans, Gary Lineker and Graham Norton are set to be forced to declare how much they earn under plans outlined in the Government's White Paper on the future of the broadcaster.

Premier talent earning over £450,000 will have to disclose their salaries in a bid to improve transparency over how the licence fee is spent.

However, while big names in front of the camera are getting more cash it is in fact the opposite for the BBC's executives.

Average pay of its 35 female bosses rake in £198,000 compared to the £192,000 for the 60 men at the same level.

A BBC spokesman told the Sunday Times: 'We we wouldn't comment on staff pay matters. We are fully committed to ensuring all staff are treated fairly and we abide by equal pay legislation.'