A senior international journalist at the BBC's quit her job over the network's pay equity scandal.

Carrie Gracie has resigned as the broadcaster's China editor.

She refused a massive pay rise, as it would have still left a massive gap between her salary and that of her male counterparts.

UK correspondent Rod Liddle told Tim Dower the BBC's dug a deeper hole.... by banning their employees from talking about the issue on air, if they've already publicly supported Ms Gracie.

"Anyone in the BBC who has campaigned on behalf or signed a letter in support of Carrie Gracie, has said that they're in favour of Carrie Gracie and so on, is not allowed to speak on the issue on air.

"They say that this is to 'preserve their impartiality' but of course that's now aroused fury and one Labour MP, Jess Phillips, said this is akin to saying 'why don't all the little women shut up'.

After tweeting "wish me luck" earlier on Monday, Gracie was back on air presenting BBC Radio 4's Today program alongside John Humphrys, the BBC's highest-paid news presenter with a salary of between STG600,000 and STG649,999 (NZ$1.1m to NZ$1.22m). 

Making a short statement, in light of the fact Humphrys, under the impartiality rules, could not interview her, Gracie said she was "moved" by the reaction from people.

"I think the scale of feeling, not just among BBC women but also just more widely across the country and also internationally, the support that I've had in the last few hours over this, I think it does speak to the depth of hunger for an equal, fair and transparent pay system.

"And the other thing I'd like to say is that what is lovely for me is that people are mentioning my China work, because I would not wish to be remembered forever as the woman who complained about money."

Humphrys then joked: "Too late, too late."

The BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet, Today presenter Sarah Montague, and Garvey all described Gracie as "brave and brilliant".

Gracie, who has been with the BBC for 30 years and described leading its China coverage since 2004 as "the greatest privilege of my career", stated her concerns in a letter addressed to the BBC Audience.

In her letter Gracie said she had learned last year that of the four international editors in the past four years at the BBC, two males had earned more than their female counterparts.

The BBC says it is performing "considerably better" than other organisations on gender pay after journalist Carrie Gracie resigned citing pay inequality.

A BBC spokesman said: "Fairness in pay is vital. A significant number of organisations have now published their gender pay figures showing that we are performing considerably better than many and are well below the national average."

The spokesman also highlighted the broadcaster's independent judge-led pay audit for "rank and file" staff which showed "no systemic discrimination against women" and said a separate report for on-air staff would be published "in the not too distant future".