'Countdown'

[Perdita]

Channel 4 has handed a new two-year contract to its long-running gameshow Countdown.

The news was announced today to tie in with celebrations for the programme's 5,000th episode, which airs this afternoon.

Countdown's new deal will see hosts Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley continuing to front the programme, while Susie Dent is expected to remain in the Dictionary Corner.

Channel 4's head of daytime Helen Warner told The Mirror: "It is an amazing achievement for Countdown to be celebrating 5,000 shows.

"Jeff, Rachel and Susie Dent have breathed new life into the show and it is the perfect time to announce Channel 4 is committing to another two years. We look forward to celebrating the next 5,000."

Responding to the announcement, Stelling commented: "The recommission is fantastic news. I love being on the show, it's my dream job."

Meanwhile, Riley added: "I am thrilled."

Stelling and Riley joined Countdown in November 2008 as replacements for Des O'Connor and Carol Vorderman.

[parkerman]

I'm glad to hear it!

As a regular Countdown viewer and fan I agree that Rachel Riley and Geoff Stelling have "breathed new life" into the show. After a bit of a shaky start I think Geoff Stelling is now much better than Des Lynam and Des O'Connor. No-one can replace Richard "Twice Nightly" Whiteley of course. As for Rachel Riley. Let's just say seeing her makes an old man very happy! Not only that but she's good with the numbers too. Susie Dent is great as well. She has come out a lot more in the last year or so and seems to be less reserved.

I don't know what I'd do with my afternoons if they axed Countdown.

I might even apply to go on it. You never know...

[Perdita]

Go on, parkerman, apply to go on

[Chloe O'brien]

Yeah come on Parkerman apply just for us.

[Perdita]

Filming on a recent edition of Countdown reportedly had to be stopped after a contestant discovered a swear word.

When presented with the letters D, T, C, E, I, A, S, H and F, 18-year-old contestant Jack Hurst declared that he had found an eight-letter word.

To the amusement of the audience, Cambridge University student Hurst then revealed that word to be "s**tface".

According to The Sun, Dictionary Corner adjudicator Susie Dent confirmed that the word was a legitimate term for a "rude or obnoxious person", but Channel 4 bosses stepped in and restarted the round, deeming the word to be "not appropriate".

A source said: "The bizarre thing was he had a spare D - spelling a concept most students are more than familiar with."

Hurst recently broke the record for the total number of points accumulated over eight matches.

It is not the first time that the weekday teatime quiz, hosted by Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley, has produced an interesting array of letters.

[CrazyLea]

Haha that's funny. .
On a separate note, I love countdown .

[Perdita]

Countdown presenter Jeff Stelling has revealed he is quitting the show little more than two years since he joined.

The 55-year-old yesterday announced he was leaving the long-running Channel 4 series to concentrate on his football role at Sky Sports.

As well as presenting Sky’s Soccer Saturday he is also covering the broadcaster’s Champions League coverage next season.

He said in a telephone interview with Oasis FM in Tenerife: ‘I’ll give you a little world exclusive, because I’m doing the Champions League for Sky next season, I’ve actually resigned from Countdown and I’ll be finishing at the end of December.

‘You’ve got to really have your priorities and my priority is football, I love it and Soccer Saturday so I’ve committed myself very much to that next season.’

His departure will plunge the teatime programme into a new presenter crisis as viewing figures have fallen under a succession of short-lived hosts.

By the time Stelling, who joined in January 2009, goes he will have done about three years on the show.

In its heyday under the late Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman, it commanded three to four million viewers a day. Last week the show got around 600,000 viewers each day.

Stelling, who has juggled both roles since he was offered the Countdown job in 2008 said he would never leave Soccer Saturday telling presenter Ross Browning ‘When I can’t get into the studio it’s because I’ll be in my wheelchair. It’s the love of my life, wife and kids excepted.’

He added he would miss Countdown’s Rachel Riley, Miss Vorderman’s replacement: ‘That’ll be really really sad. She’s a great girl by the way even though she’s a Manchester United fan.

'We’ve had some great times and I’ll miss her. But I just felt I had to really try on focus on the things that I love which are football and Soccer Saturday.’

Originally tipped for the job when the legendary Whiteley died, he was passed over in favour of Des Lynam who was seen as a higher-profile name.

Whiteley, who had been in the presenter’s chair since the show began in 1982 died suddenly in June 2005.

But Lynam quit in 2006 after 18 months blaming the long journey to Leeds for filming.

He was followed by Des O’Connor, 79, who quit after another year saying he missed performing live.

Miss Vorderman’s exit, following a row over pay, was watched by 1.8m viewers.

By March 2009, figures had slumped to 650,000, the lowest in the show’s 27-year history. Since then figures have dropped further.

A Channel 4 spokesman said: ‘Jeff will continue to present Countdown until the end of the year.

‘He's had a brilliant 3 years on the show and we're sad to see him go.

‘We're already talking to a number of people to find a replacement.’



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...#ixzz1NKxxDTin


I like him, he did a good job, sorry to see him go

[parkerman]

Yes, I think Jeff is an excellent presenter, second only to the great Richard Whiteley. I hope they are not thinking of axeing Countdown. What would I do without my afternoons lusting after Rachel...er...I mean stimulating my brain with word and number puzzles?

[parkerman]

Talking of Countdown, have you seen this: ?

[Perdita]

STARS are clamouring to replace Jeff Stelling on Countdown after we revealed yesterday that he was quitting.
Bosses of the C4 quiz have been "inundated" with requests from agents, an insider said.

Favourites include comic Alexander Armstrong, who just missed out last time, Rory Bremner, Terry Wogan and Richard Madeley.

Jo Brand and Anne Robinson are also tipped. Other contenders include Stephen Fry and David Mitchell.

Bookie William Hill said "shrewd" money was on a female.

Jeff, 55, leaves at the end of the year. He said he would miss working with maths whiz Rachel Riley, saying: "That'll be really sad. She's a great girl."



Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz1NRH92ORw


If they want a female host, then please let it be Jo Brand, not Anne Robinson