AceShowbiz - Actress Claire Foy has dismissed reports suggesting she has been offered $225,000 (£171,600) in back pay to settle the gender pay gap on The Crown.

The British star, who has won critical acclaim for her portrayal of a young Queen Elizabeth II on the royal drama, previously told The Hollywood Reporter that she was surprised to be at the centre of the controversy, after the Netflix show's producers revealed she was paid less than her co-star Matt Smith, who played Prince Philip.

In April, it was reported the 34-year-old would receive a cheque to make up for the smaller salary after the huge outcry, but Claire insists she has not discussed the topic of back pay with producers.

"That was what was reported, that I was back-paid," she tells Al Arabiya. "I've never mentioned anything about it and neither have the producers. The fact that that is 'fact' is - not quite correct."

"Yes it's Netflix, but it's a British production company," she adds. "It happened at the same time as it was coming out with a lot of other people that there was a lot of pay inequality across the board - in the music industry, in journalism, in every industry. It's across the board that it became part of a bigger conversation, which is an odd place to find yourself in."

Foy admits she is still learning from the experience, but it has taught her to be vocal about the wider situation.

"I realised early on that me being quiet about it or me not thinking about it in any way, and not associating myself with it, would be harmful to me and also lots of other people," she says. "It's taught me a lot, and I'm still learning about it. I have not come out the other side and know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm still learning as much as anybody else is."