Rules of the game

Every time I pitch up to TV Centre to be interviewed on BBC TV World or News 24 I manage to wear the wrong thing. For radio it doesn't matter what you wear: I've been known to wear a sweater over my pyjamas on Five Live late at night (so long as you don't sit in view of the studio webcam no one will know), but for TV it's a whole different ball game.

Obviously I know the basics: no manic Pucci that will distort on screen, either lacquer your hair to your head or pin it up, and try not to wear a top so low the newscaster keeps staring down your cleavage. This evening for Newshour on BBC World I popped on a navy V neck sweater dress: simple & chic I thought. And then had to pull my clip-on neck microphone up under my skirt to hide the wire & attach the pick-up to my neckline, thereby flashing my knickers to the studio. Zeinab Badawi, the consummate professional, was wearing a black shirt & skirt. No ill thought out dresses for her.