The radio presenter Sarah Montague has won a £400,000 settlement and an apology from the BBC after being treated “unequally” by it for many years.

Montague, 53, who previously presented BBC Radio 4’s Today program alongside veteran journalist John Humphrys, said the deal came after a “long period of stressful negotiations” which was triggered after discovering a disparity in her pay and conditions.

The £400,000 settlement, which is subject to tax, was made last year. She accepted it after being warned that a battle to try to repair the situation could “run into the millions”.

Montague, who presents the World At One on BBC Radio 4 and the HARDtalk interview on television, tweeted: “I would prefer not to be talking about my pay but feel I have no option given the erroneous reports in today’s papers.

“Here are the facts.

“When I discovered the disparity in my pay and conditions, I was advised that rectifying it all could run into the millions. I chose not to seek such sums from the BBC but I did want some recognition that they had underpaid me.

“Last year, after a long period of stressful negotiation, I accepted a settlement of £400,000 subject to tax and an apology from the BBC for paying me unequally for so many years.”

The payout comes after another presenter, Samira Ahmed, won the employment tribunal she had brought against the BBC in a dispute over equal pay.

Ahmed had claimed she was underpaid by £700,000 for hosting the audience feedback show Newswatch, compared with Jeremy Vine’s salary for TV show Points of View.

The unanimous judgment said her work was like that done by Vine and the BBC had failed to prove the pay gap was not because of sex discrimination.