RTÉ has been splashing out more than €140,000 on make-up over the past two years, with nearly half of that going to fancy-pants retailer Brown Thomas. The broadcaster claims they need all this war paint for the thousands of hours of TV shows they churn out every year. From January 2023 to March of this year, they racked up a bill of €144,081, which works out to about €5,300 a month.
Brown Thomas was the top dog when it came to make-up purchases, with a whopping €67,000 spent there. They also dabbled in some Amazon shopping, dropping around €3,000, and hit up Tesco for €4,500 worth of products. Boots Chemists got a slice of the pie too, with nearly €4,100 spent there. The central make-up department at RTÉ took home almost half of the total bill, but other big-name shows had their own expenses. Fair City got glam with a bill of €16,705, while the Eurovision Song Contest spent just over €3,800 on make-up.
TG4 wasn’t left out either, with almost €4,600 spent on cosmetics, and the Today Show got a makeover to the tune of over €15,000. Other costs included €3,400 for the Late Late Show (Toy Show special included), and €5,300 for weather forecasts. The Sunday Game and Champions League coverage had more modest bills of €44.96 and €53.56, respectively. RTÉ explained that make-up is essential for making sure presenters and guests look good on screen and for creating special effects like wounds, bruises, tattoos, and prosthetics. The products they buy have to be up to snuff for high-definition cameras and last through long broadcasting events.
A variety of brands are used, and they even check for allergies and sensitivities, including using vegan and cruelty-free ranges. The make-up team collaborates with the lighting and costume departments to make sure everyone looks cohesive and camera-ready. Not really sure why this matters, but it seems like a whole lot of effort goes into making sure everyone looks good on TV. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like that’s a lot of money to spend on make-up. But hey, who am I to judge, right? At the end of the day, they’re the ones who have to look good in front of the cameras.
