To say that you absolutely have to look cute to read the news on television, is like saying that you absolutely have to be rich to date a supermodel. You don’t. But then again, it does seem to help, doesn’t it.

That is not to say that cuteness is enough. News readers, male or female, need to be able to cope with a big breaking story, which requires them to quiz an unexpected interviewee about a subject they are learning about for the first time via the producer’s voice in their ear piece. It is a skill, but one that has not stopped many news readers being accused of having landed the roles, solely on the strength of their looks.