Revealed: BBC is seeking to spend £1m a 12 months on make-up providers for its on-air journalists and visitors

Looking glamorous enough to front the country’s top TV news bulletins does not come cheap.

It has emerged that the BBC is looking to spend about £1 million a year in licence fee cash on the provision of ‘make-up services’ for its news shows that are based in London.

As well as helping newsreaders like Fiona Bruce and Sophie Raworth appear at their photogenic best, the huge cost of the expenditure also covers the use of cosmetics on other on-air journalists, as well as guests on its shows.

The BBC has just put a tender document out for a ‘single supplier’ to ‘provide a managed service’ for the ‘provision of make-up services’ for BBC News based in London.

Potential applicants to win the contract are being offered an up to £3 million deal, for an initial three-year period, which is understood to include providing hairstyling as well as make-up.

There will also be an option to extend the deal by a further two years, which would make it £5 million across five years.

The contract includes the cost of the make-up experts as well as the products they are using.

A previously published report about the BBC’s make-up services, suggested presenters are given products such as anti-shine creams, foundation and ‘bespoke powder’.

A £1 million-a-year deal is being lined up for make-up services for BBC journalists like Fiona Bruce 

Newsreaders such as Sophie Raworth are part of a long list of presenters who benefit from the makeup services

Female presenters would also have items such as blusher, eye shadow, lipstick, eyeliner and lip-gloss. The report said presenters, including men, had their own designated make-up bags, including sponges and brushes.

It understood the lucrative contract covers all the news programmes done from Broadcasting House, it’s London base, including the 6pm and 10pm bulletins and Newsnight, as well as the news channel.

Make-up services for these news shows would handle dozens of staff and guests before they go on air each day, say insiders.

In 2011, it was reported by the Daily Telegraph the BBC used top make-up brands such as Chanel, Dior and Laura Mercier. It is unclear if the corporation still uses these brands of products, amid its continual attempts to save money.

It had also said that make-up artists would have a ‘record card’ for individual presenters including information like the colours and brands that suited them, as well as any allergy issues they have. It was also said to include the price of each product.

The tender document says: ‘The BBC is looking for a single supplier to provide a managed service for the provision of make-up services to BBC News based in London.

‘The contract term will be an initial 3 year term with an option to extend by 2 further years.

‘The Contract value range is between £3M and £5M.’

The BBC is looking to spend about £1 million a year in licence fee cash on the provision of ‘make-up services’ for its news shows

A BBC source quipped: ‘We can’t say this story is without foundation, but while we are trusted to not make-up the news we do make up our newsreaders.’

It is understood the newly advertised contract is not a new requirement or approach by the corporation, but simply a re-tender. Such contracts are understood to have been in place since the early 2000s.

A BBC spokesman said: ‘Like most major broadcasters, the BBC offers make-up artists and hair styling for on-air staff and contributors.

‘This is a long-standing arrangement and we always seek to keep costs as low as possible.’