Kate Langbroek has issued a lengthy apology after publicly denouncing a dispute between herself and former radio host Dave Hughes on The Project.
She made the bombshell confession on Thursday, claiming she made 40 percent less than Hughesy during their time hosting Hughesy & Kate on the Hit Network for nearly two decades.
The 57-year-old clarified her shocked admission on Instagram on Friday, saying she had not explained the full context of the situation due to the Channel 10 show’s “time restrictions”.
“Nor did I explain that when Hughesy found out, he was mortified – rightly shocked – and immediately tried to rectify the situation,” she admitted.
“I had already arranged parity for myself, by the way, but his instinct was so honorable that he immediately offered to take a pay cut,” she added.
Kate Langbroek (pictured) has issued a lengthy apology after publicly denouncing a dispute between herself and former radio host Dave Hughes on The Project over the pay of gay men.
Kate made the bombshell confession on Thursday, claiming she made 40 percent less than Hughesy during their time hosting Hughesy & Kate on the Hit Network (pictured)
“He also vowed that from then on we would always negotiate the show we built together, and we did that the following year, when we moved to SCA. Knowing that we could speak freely about our negotiations and that we were treated as equals on our new radio network was the best thing.”
Kate confessed that Hughes was “hurt” by her comments about The Project, and felt the need to clarify them.
She also said that she and Hughes were not “estranged” and that she was “mortified” that she led people to believe that.
Supporting her sentiment, Hughes reposted her apology on his own Instagram page, writing: “Thank you legend Kate! Alienate my ass!’
In addition to the public apology, the couple cleared things up in person by meeting and taking a selfie together.
“Thanks legend!” Hughesy accepted Kate’s apology and the couple even posed for a selfie (pictured) together to show fans that everything was fine
On Thursday’s episode of The Project, Kate shared a story about how she was shocked to discover that Hughesy was paid a higher salary than her during their time on radio.
“It turned out that he was paid 40 percent more than me. This was the Hughesy and Kate Show we created together that wouldn’t exist without us,” she said.
‘Show business is not a standard situation, but we did a radio show together for 18 years. It changed our relationship when we talked about money and then I left.”
Kate co-hosted the hit car show Hughesy and Kate from 2001 to January 2019 along with 52-year-old Dave, when she resigned to spend more time with her family.
She added that the gender pay gap is a form of financial discrimination that women in Australia continue to face.
‘Because we are enthusiasts and breeders and free up time, we are punished for that in our working lives.’
In January 2021, Kate said her “divorce” with Dave was a long time coming, pending her move to Italy.
“It was a big thing, but he’d known it was coming for a long time because I was ahead of the curve [a move to Italy],” she told co-hosts Monty Diamond and Yumi Stynes on The 3pm Pick-Up.
She said Dave questioned her move to Bologna and how she would spend her days in the city.
The TV presenter, 57, discussed the gender pay gap on Channel 10’s The Project on Thursday and admitted she was shocked to find out Hughes was getting a higher salary
“It turned out that he was paid 40 percent more than me. This was the Hughesy and Kate Show we made together that wouldn’t exist without us,” she told her co-hosts
“He kept saying to me, ‘What are you going to do all day,'” Kate said. “I’m like, my dream, my dream is nothing.”
Kate went on to praise Dave and their working relationship.
‘Besides my husband, he was the most important man in my life. And it was like a marriage, and now like a divorce,’ she said
Kate and her husband Peter Lewis moved to Italy in January 2019 with their four children, Lewis, Sunday, Artie and Jan.
The couple moved back to Melbourne in 2021.