Why did Carol Vorderman leave Countdown?
COUNTDOWN is the first programme ever to air on Channel 4.
And when the show launched in the early 80s, it also thrust a young Carol Vorderman into the spotlight as a sexy maths whizz.
Why did Carol Vorderman leave Countdown?
Carol joined Countdown for the very first episode in 1982 when she was in her twenties.
She got the gig after her mum arranged for the then 21-year-old to have an audition for the show after seeing a newspaper ad looking for women with good numerical skills.
Despite her young age Carol bagged the job and appeared on Countdown with the late Richard Whiteley from 1982 until his death in June 2005.
She then carried on alongside Des Lynam then the late Des O’Connor.
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But on July 25, 2008, Channel 4 announced that Carol was stepping down from Countdown.
She later said she had resigned after failing to agree terms with Channel 4 for a new contract, and it was reported that she had been asked to take a cut of 90% from her previous salary, estimated as £900,000.
She had considered leaving the show when the show’s original host Richard Whiteley died in 2005, but remained on until O’Connor quit.
When did Rachel Riley replace Carol Vorderman on Countdown?
Rachel Riley shot to fame on Countdown in 2009, when she took over from Carol.
Just like her predecessor, she is in charge of picking the letters and numbers, and revealing the answers to the maths problems.
Before her career in television, Rachel studied mathematics at Oriel College, Oxford.
She then worked as a statistical analyst for a start-up price comparison website.
Who has hosted Countdown?
As of November 2022, there have been seven Countdown hosts.
The famous presenters who have been in the hot seat are:
- Richard Whitely – 1982 to 2005
- Des Lynam – 2005 to 2006
- Des O’Connor – 2007 to 2008
- Jeff Stelling – 2009 to 2011
- Nick Hewer – 2012 to 2021
- Anne Robinson – 2021 to 2022
- Colin Murray – 2022 to present
There have only ever been two permanent maths experts on the show – Carol and Rachel.
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However in 2021, mathematician and entrepreneur Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon stood in as a replacement for Rachel while she was on maternity leave.
Susie Dent is a regular in Dictionary Corner.