It’s been revealed that RTE spent €35,000 on wardrobe allowances for their top three shows last year.
According to reports, the national broadcasters’ budgets doubled for both The Late Late Show and The Saturday Night Show compared to the previous year.
In light of the figures, RTE stalwart Miriam O’Callaghan admitted the figures are not reflective of the cost of clothing but refer to the cost of the wardrobe staff.
Figures: Miriam has opened up about the wardrobe figures for RTE | VIPIRELAND.COM
“Those figures are primarily all the costs of the hours worked by the staff in wardrobe department, not my clothes,” she said.
“My clothes budget is teeny for my chat show and. for the record, I get absolutely nothing for my PrimeTime clothes, although I am on TV a minimum of twice a week and get no money either for getting my hair done.”
Responding to the figures, the state broadcaster insisted that budgets had not changed despite the increases.
Budgets: RTE have insisted budgets haven’t changed even though figures have increased | RTE
“The costs reflect the nature of production in a given year and the types of items that were produced during that particular season,” a statement from RTE said.
“It is the responsibility of the producer to prioritise their spend based on the editorial nature of the show.
“For example, The Late Late Show’s interval and opening acts in 2014 featured more performers and therefore more costumes than the previous year,” the broadcaster added to the Herald.
