after seeing the newsreaders dancing on CIN, am wondering if you need to be a size 10 to read the news

[ssd]

they all looked great, but jesus talk about skinny

dont they eat?

and they all have a bunch of kids too

jesus

John simpson?
Jeremy paxman?
jeremy vine?

A veritable smorgasbord of male youth and vigour

You have to be more physically attractive if you are female to get the job - noone can argue with that surley!??

I don't think the women were 'skinny' - they looked about the size of most of my friends and the women I see around.

I do think that there is a massive pressure on girls/women to be of a certain appearance.

Sian's opposite is bill turnbull.

Really good looking? Not really. I mean there's nothing wrong with him but he's no david boreanaz.

I think it's fair to say that most newsreaders, both male and female are quite attractive, you certainly rarely see a really unattractive person reading the news. There are exceptions, but I think that applies to males and females.

As for them being slim? That's their business. I've not seen any hugely obese male newsreaders, certainly not so big that they can't hide it behind a well fitted suit (thinking of Eammon Holmes).

Women's worst critics can be other women, as someone already said, women would be the first to criticise if a female newsreader had an ill fitting dress or had gained a few pounds, I'm not sure men give a shit.

Sian's thinness doesn't bother me as much as her overly-Botoxed, face-lifted, one-too-many trips to the plastic surgeon "surprisingly youthful" head.

And if she's in her 40's she honestly doesn't look that great for her age.

that Charlie Styat man who sometimes appears on BBC breakfast instead of Bill Turnball gets 'discussed' as good looking. Don't see it myself.

DoMeDon plenty of people are arguing just that

(Don who?)

I know Sardine - I should've put a at the end- how can any one with eyes argue that!!

'mad men'

there was that woman taken off country file when it went "primetime. She was interviewed on Woman's Hour about it (fortunately on the radio you can be as old as you like) - and Moira Stewart.

I think it's true to say that the women on the TV are likely to feel much more pressured to look good (and slim if that is part of the definition of "good"), whereas the men may feel that way, but clearly all of them don't. The likes of Jeremy Paxman and James Simpson have proved their worth, and it wouldn't matter what they looked like.

I would like to think that people like Stephanie Flanders, who have made their way (and that seems to be on the basis of being good of what she does in SF's case) will still be there as veteran journalists in 20, 30 years time.

Mind you Jenni Murray is, I think, 62, or thereabouts. She can look like whatever she likes. I love her, and Jane Garvey.

Yes, but the women are not what I wouild describe as 'hot' either. I mean its not like you have a 19 year old page 3 girl reading the news with her tits out is it! The women have to wear pretty boring and nondesript clothes as well dont they, I will usually comment on a male newsreader's tie before a dress!

The women are moderately attractive and easy on the eye, as are most of the men really. There are no real 'ugly' male newsreaders.

As I sai before, reporters are different, but then so are the women I think.

I like Kate Adie and Orla Guerin. Brains and bullet-proof vests.

If I'm being honest, I thought that Trevor McDonald and Reginald Bosanquet were never easy on the eye.

I know this is off the topic, but my dh watches Sky Sports News alot. He is a sports fanatic. It always drives me crazy that the male newsreaders are mature and wear sombre suits and the female are young, pretty and dress as if they are about to head off into a club. Even dh commented the other day that one lady with long blonde hair looked as if she'd just arrived straight from a night out.

sams in your world are women only attractive enough to be described as "hot" if they haven't got their clothes on?

Incidentally I think you will find that the women news presenters do have more flesh showing and tighter clothes than their male counterparts.

On the same note I always think that Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield are a rather odd pair, the age gap just doesn't work for me.
Or the old one show hosts, Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley, age gap and looks not compatible.

Oh and Bruce Forsythe and Tess another old man with young modelish girl. We not in the 70's why is this still going on?

John Craven and Michaela Strachan.

Pete Waterman and MIchaela Strachan.

Linerunner Lise Doucet too (sp?). She's great! I sort of want to be her.

sticky I can't spell either today

I would be amazed that anyone could look at those pairings and argue that it's all teh same for male and females in television.

They will though

10 points for the first person who can tell me off the top of their head 4 pairings but with the sexes the other way around.!

Exactly Sardine! I can't think of one.

SardineQueen I can't think of one - I'm sure the TV execs would be worried that the woman would look like a "cougar" and make people uncomfortable.

The only one I can even slightly think of is Cash in the Attic - doesn't that usually have a younger "expert' (expert at looking at tat ) and Angela Rippon (Bloody hell, why can't Angela still read the news if she's capable of presenting that?). Though I think it's probably different because Ange is more like the age of the people who are on that programme.

Oh and the judges on x factor and strictly. Apart from Sharon Osbourne and older men, lets not forget Arlene's sacking and replacement. I still have no idea what credentials Alysha Dixon has to be a judge.

meant to say ALL older men and younger women