TV's harsh light sees stars rush for Botox

Kate Gerbeau

LONDON - "The camera adds 4kg," declared horrified actors and actresses at the dawn of the television age. Decades later, today's stars are bracing themselves for a new shock.

This time they are more worried about their faces than their waistlines, for next month, Sky will become the first major British broadcaster to start transmission of high-definition television (HDTV) pictures.

The system achieves a clearer image, breaking it up into more lines. The stars of the screen have other lines on their mind.

"HDTV is not going to be forgiving in any way. Basically, if you've got bags under your eyes or wrinkles, you're not going to be able to get away with it any more," said Kate Gerbeau, the Channel 5 newsreader and former BBC Breakfast presenter.

Greater clarity means viewers get a closer look at faces that for years have appeared flawless.

In the United States, where the images have begun beaming, previously unseen spots, blemishes and crow's feet are prompting outbreaks of fury and talk of legal action against commentators who have ridiculed celebrities over their looks.

In Britain stars are scurrying for new makeup products and even surgical treatments to beat the intrusive lenses of high-definition cameras.

"For the last few weeks in our makeup department we've started experimenting with make-up for HDTV," said Ms Gerbeau.

"One of the big things is we've been using an airbrush to apply the foundation, which looks like a dentist's drill.

"It's like being a canvas that's spray painted, but the idea is that it gives a natural, uniform look to the complexion of the presenters."

All of this is good news for the cosmetics companies. Clinique has launched a line for television firms that will also be sold on the general market.

Dr David Orentreich, a dermatologist for Clinique, said that advance orders were already coming in for the company's "HDTV kit", which includes a "pore minimiser", "colour correctors" and an "antioxidant rescue serum."

"HDTV is a real issue for performers," said Dr Orentreich. "Seeing skin through a standard format is like looking into a regular mirror. Seeing it through HDTV - which is not yet broadcast in New Zealand - is like looking with a magnifying mirror.

"It exacerbates the appearance of redness, scars, pigmentation irregularities and shows every line, pore and discoloration."

For some, simply patching over the cracks is not enough. Mel Braham, chairman of the Harley Medical Group, a chain of plastic surgery clinics, said a number of unnamed television personalities had been in touch, eager to take precautionary measures against the technology.

Other presenters are reported to be requesting "Botox budgets" on their expense accounts and contributions towards facial peels. They are doing so largely as a result of what has happened in the US. There, celebrities ranging from Desperate Housewives actress Teri Hatcher to pop star Britney Spears have been slaughtered over their "real" appearance.

One commentator, Phillip Swann, has become a pseudo celebrity in his own right for highlighting HDTV horrors on his cult website, www. tvpredictions.com.

Technology experts are predicting a new boom for television as a result of HDTV's launch. Sky will be the first major broadcaster to make the transition, on an unspecified date next month. The others will follow soon.

It is more than twice as sharp as DVD and cinema footage, and offers four times the clarity of standard television. It also offers more vivid colours and greater depth of field, bringing everything - including background scenes - into focus.

Sky estimates that 2.1 million HDTVs will have been sold in Britain by the end of this year, compared with 700,000 at the end of last year.

- INDEPENDENT