what stars cost to hire

But you could get cheaper if you opted for Lee Mead, the winner of the BBC reality show Any Dream Will Do, who is available for £3,450 (inc VAT).

And what if you want a famous personality to officially open a new council facility? Daley Thompson, the former Olympic athlete, will do it for £10,000, Michaela Strachan, for £3,500, and fellow wildlife broadcaster Chris Packham, for £2,000. Cheaper than all of them though is Sir Andrew Motion, the former poet laureate, available for just £1,500.

These contrasting amounts are the fees the celebrities charged local authorities for specific public appearances. They have been uncovered in a survey of local councils which have hired famous personalities to carry out a range of tasks for them.

As well as unveiling new facilities and switching on Christmas lights, the study also found that some celebrities were being hired to hand out prizes at staff parties while others, such as Keith Chegwin, were promoting council recycling campaigns. The television presenter, not known for his environmental credentials, has received £5,000 from Worcestershire county council, to support a sustainability scheme. Some celebrities have even been paid to appear in staff training videos and write articles for council magazines.

Of those available for appearances at staff awards parties – a task that usually involves handing out prizes and telling a few, humorous anecdotes – among the most expensive were comedian Hugh Dennis (£7,500), Brian Blessed (£6,500), Christopher Biggins (£5,000) and Barbara Windsor (£5,000).

Those available for awards ceremonies, but in a lower price bracket, include music producer Pete Waterman, Mark Ramprakash, former England cricketer (both £3,000), Hi-de-Hi! actress Ruth Madoc (£2,700) and Mel Giedroyc, the television presenter (£2,115 inc VAT).

The 'Town Hall celebrity rich list' has been compiled by The Sunday Telegraph, using the Freedom of Information Act.

In total, 140 English councils said they had paid celebrities at least £1.3 million in the last four years. More local authorities admitted hiring them, but refused to provide costs, meaning the actual costs are far higher.

Although the fees for some celebrity appearances were recouped with ticket sales for events or private sponsorship, in the vast majority of cases they were met by the taxpayer alone. The spending has been criticised by campaigners.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "It is obscene that ordinary taxpayers, who don't earn much, are funding the lifestyles of the rich and famous."

Mark Borkowski, a public relations expert, said that in most cases only a proportion of the fees would go to the celebrity – agents would also take a cut – and expressed surprise at some of the high charges uncovered.

"These figures seem pretty high. There is a lot of box ticking going on by councils. They want someone who will come along and shake the mayor's hand and have their picture done.

"But that is not going to excite any more and I think what we are witnessing here is a dying practice and the last hurrah of some of these celebrities.

"No matter what we think about celebrity, it is surprising what the impact of a celebrity can have. People are still running after Terry Venables for autographs.

"Surprisingly, there is often still something in it for councils to hire these people."

Gyles Brandreth, the author and broadcaster, who has built a career on his ability to recount witty anecdotes, cost £6,800 to appear at a staff awards in Essex. He defended the spending by councils, adding: "The hotel, the caterers, the design company and the graphics company (involved with the event) will be paid. And so will the presenter. I love doing it. It is a really good thing to be promoting your community and what it is about.

"Everything I have ever done in Essex I have enjoyed. I am not a resident of the county, but I would like to be. People spread clichés about it. But you need to go there to see the beauty of the countryside and the vibrancy of the local economy.

Councils insist the spending is good value.

WHAT CELEBRITIES COST TO HIRE

Betty Boothroyd, former Commons speaker – £10,000 (Harrogate – appearance at event in Gibson Hall, London, promoting Harrogate's conference facilities)

Daley Thompson, former Olympic athlete – £10,000 (Enfield – opening Edmonton leisure centre)

John Craven, television presenter – £10,000 plus £258 travel and accommodation expenses (Cumbria – support for "Recycle for Cumbria" campaign, including golf competition, awards presentation and speech; costs met by central government-funded agency)

Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, former Paralympian – £8,225 (inc VAT) (Birmingham – speaker and presenter of awards ceremony)

Hugh Dennis, comedian – £7,500 (Essex – appearance at "You Make a Difference" staff awards)

Kriss Akabusi, former Olympic athlete – £7,200 (Somerset – key note speaker at "Somerset in Business" conference)

Ruby Wax, broadcaster – £7,050 (inc VAT) (Cornwall – hosted local tourism awards)

Gyles Brandreth £6,800 (Essex – appearance at "You Make a Difference" staff awards)

Dick and Dom, children's television presenters – £5,800 (Solihull – turned on Christmas lights)

Brian Blessed, actor – £6,500 (Essex – appearance at "You Make a Difference" staff awards: costs covered by ticket sales/sponsorship)

Janet Street Porter, journalist – £5,095 (Isle of Wight – launched walking festival. Ticket sales contributed to costs)

Simon King, wildlife broadcaster – £5,000 (Hertfordshire – for a 30 minute speech and 15 minute Q and A session on climate change at Hertfordshire Forward Annual Conference)

Keith Chegwin, television presenter – £5,000 (Worcestershire – to promote a sustainability and recycling campaign)

Barbara Windsor, EastEnders actress – £5,000 (Hackney – hosted staff awards)

Tim Campbell, winner of The Apprentice – £5,000 (Hackney – hosted business awards)

Duncan Bannatyne, entrepreneur and television personality – £5,000 plus £35 travel (Durham – appearance at "skills summit")

Christopher Biggins, actor – £5,000 (Hackney – hosted staff awards)

Steve Cram, former Olympic athlete – £4,935 (Bedford – presented awards; Sports England, EEDA and local businesses also contributed to the cost)

Phillippa Forester, television presenter – £4,500 – (Somerset – key note speaker, "Somerset in Business")

Sharron Davies, former Olympic swimmer – £3,550 (Warwickshire – opening a building)

Michaela Strachan, wildlife broadcaster – £3,500 – (North Kesteven – opened wildlife adventure area)

Lee Mead, Any Dream Will Do reality TV show winner – £3,450 (Chelmsford – switched on Christmas lights; half the fee paid by sponsorship)

Sally Gunnell, former Olympic athlete – £4,000 (Brighton – hosted awards ceremony)

Chico, reality TV star – £3,700 (Birmingham – "disability employment awards"; paid for by sponsors)

Dickie Bird, former cricket umpire – £3,505 (Redcar and Cleveland – appearance at a Q and A session in honour of Yorkshire Day)

Roger Black, former Olympic athlete – £3,500 (Surrey Heath – speech at a "business breakfast" networking meeting)

Pete Waterman, music producer – £3,000 (Warrington – speaker at staff awards ceremony; offset by sponsorship for event)

Mark Austin, newsreader – £3,000 (Bournemouth – presented tourism awards, part sponsored)

John Suchet, newsreader – £3,000 plus £64.30 exes (Notts – appearance at social services conference)

Jennie McAlpine, Coronation Street actress – £3,000 (Stockton – to switch on Christmas lights; the council put in £1,000)

Mark Ramprakash, former test cricketer – £3,000 (Southwark – council awards; covered by sponsorship)

Ruth Madoc, Hi-de-Hi actress – £2,700 (Warwickshire – long service staff awards)

John Humphrys, BBC broadcaster – £2,000 (Hammersmith and Fulham – chaired "Question Time" event, at which residents quizzed council bosses)

Chris Packham, BBC Springwatch presenter – £2,000 (Tunbridge Wells - open exhibition), £1,750 (Bournemouth – to open building)

Theo Paphitis, entrepreneur and television personality – £2,000 (Newark and Sherwood – opened building. The council's contribution was £2,000. Sponsors also paid towards his total fee)

Nicholas Owen, TV newsreader – £1,725 (inc VAT) (Brighton – chaired "Question Time"-style event, allowing residents to quiz councillors)

Sir Andrew Motion, former poet laureate – £1,500 (Enfield – opening of Enfield Town Library)

Richard Blackwood, comedian – £1,200 (Enfield – attendance at event celebrating improved school attendance levels)

Peter Shilton, former England goalkeeper – £1,000 (Northamptonshire – sports awards, funded by local sports partnership body)

Jenny Eclair, comedienne, – £950 (Redbridge – appearance at book festival)

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