Anne Robinson quits Countdown after one year to spend more time with grandkids

RACHEL Riley appeared to make a sly dig at Anne Robinson as she praised her Countdown replacement Colin Murray. The Irish presenter was announced as Anne's replacement after she quit the tea-time Channel 4 series last week.

COUNTDOWN'S new presenter Colin Murray has broken his silence on his latest telly role - vowing to "earn the respect" of co-host Rachel Riley. Channel 4 sources confirmed to The Sun today that the BBC Radio 5 live presenter, 45, will be taking on the Countdown reins "until autumn." They told us of Colin's plum new role replacing telly veteran Anne Robinson, 77, and said: "Colin started filming on set in Salford yesterday.

ANNE Robinson is tipped to be replaced as Countdown host by Colin Murray - who "gets on really well" with her ex co-star Rachel Riley. The Weakest Link presenter, 77, quit the tea-time Channel 4 series after just a year in the hot seat - months after The Sun revealed her feud with co-star Rachel.

Anne Robinson's new replacement has already started filming episodes for Countdown, despite the host announcing her departure just days prior.New episodes for the Channel 4 gameshow have already begun filming, with a new stand-in presenter taking the reins instead of no-nonsense and quick-witted host Anne.This comes days after the 77-year-old TV star quit her role after just one year on the programme.The Mirror has reported that 43-year-old radio and TV host Colin Murray will be stepping into Anne's shoes for the time being.Colin has appeared on the show before now, and actually guest presented 33 episodes last year when then-host Nick Hewer was shielding during the coronavirus pandemic. The paper has revealed that Colin will host the programme until the autumn, but could potentially be announced as the permanent host.A Channel 4 source said: "Colin has agreed to be a stand-in host for us, which is brilliant news.

Anne Robinson has revealed she had the chance to return to The Weakest Link but said no – twice! The TV star made a huge splash on the long-running BBC quiz show and amassed plenty of fans thanks to her rather acerbic wit, with her phrase "you are the weakest link, goodbye!" becoming well used.But when it was resurrected last year comedian Romesh Ranganathan was the host.And Anne has now shared that she was offered the opportunity to return twice but decided against it, because things are different today and she didn't want to be a "cheesy game-show host"."Wokeness has taken the heart out of comedy," the Mail quoted her as saying."Times have really changed. I wouldn't want to be a cheesy game-show host, and that is what the BBC wanted.

RACHEL Riley has had an especially racy week on Countdown which she admits happens "all the time." The maths whizz joined host Anne Robinson and Susie Dent on the Channel 4 puzzle show and was left very amused by one word that popped up in Dictionary Corner. After the 30-second timer was up, one player came up with the word 'erections', with a bemused Rachel putting the word up on the board.

Carol Vorderman could be set to return to Countdown following Anne Robinson's departure from the Channel 4 show. Anne, 77, announced earlier this week that she's set to step down as Countdown host after less than a year in the job, and there have been lots of rumours and suggestions as to who might take over as the new presenter on the popular game show. One name that's been mentioned as a possible replacement is someone who's by no means a stranger to the programme is former numbers expert Carol, who is reportedly a top choice for the role among show bosses.But former host Nick Hewer, who presented the show for almost a decade between 2012 and 2021, reckons she might not be the right choice, in part because she's too closely associated with another job on the programme.Asked about the possibility in an interview with RadioTimes.com, he said: "I've been on her show a couple of times, she's got a [BBC] Radio Wales show."I don't know whether there would be a sort of conflict in a way because both she and Rachel [Riley] did the same job.So I don't know."I think she's a very popular woman, but I would have thought that it would slightly confuse the audience, which is a very faithful audience, [with] some people watching it for years and yearsHe added, "I just think that there might be – people might be a bit confused."For her part, Vorderman recently said it would be "an honour" to return to the show and thanked fans for their comments, but appeared to distance herself from the gig by wishing luck to the future host."I want to wish whoever is the lucky human to be the new host all the love and 9 letter words in the world," she wrote on Twitter.For who else might be a good fit for the job, Hewer had a wealth of suggestions,

BBC Pointless star Richard Osman turned down a gig hosting Countdown years ago, a top TV executive has claimed.

Carol Vorderman is an iconic figure of British television who made her way there through her role in the daytime classic, Countdown.Now, following the announcement that fellow-tv legend Anne Robinson is due to be stepping away from the role she has had with the show that she has had since 2021, Carol’s name is being thrown up again and again as a possible replacement.According to the Mirror, Countdown bosses are “desperate” to get her back. Responding to the rumours she said: "Thank you to all of you saying such lovely things about the possibility of me returning to Countdown."You're very kind & it would be an honour but I want to wish whoever is the lucky human to be the new host all the love and 9 letter words in the world #CountWell#HappyDays."Carol worked on the show for 26 years but finally, in 2008, placed her last letter on the board - but why?The reasons behind why Carol Vorderman quit countdown are shrouded in controversy.

Carol Vorderman has broken her silence after Anne Robinson's Countdown exit, saying it would be an "honour" to host the show. Carol co-hosted the show with Richard Whitely for 26 years before he sadly died in 2005 and she left in 2008. And it's now been claimed that bosses are desperate for Carol to return and replace Anne.

Rachel Riley, 36 and Anne Robinson, 77, have clashed in the past, with The Weakest Link star publicly admitting that she found her co-star too "noisy" and admitting that she wouldn't "go on holiday with her".

POINTLESS star Richard Osman has reacted to rumours he’ll replace Anne Robinson on Countdown. Last month the telly favourite, 51, walked away from the long-running BBC One series having filmed more than 1,300 episodes andnearly 30 series. Now fans are suggesting he had a secret plan to takeover from Anne, 77.

COUNTDOWN fans have been speculating wildly as to who will replace Anne Robinson in the hotseat after she announced she is quitting the show. One name that's been thrown around is Good Morning Britain's Richard Madeley, 65, whose telly career has been revitalised after a short stint on I'm A Celebrity.

COUNTDOWN'S Rachel Riley took a swipe at Anne Robinson by toasting to the next chapter after the host quit. The maths whizz was all smiles after the news broke about Anne's future on the show.

Rachel Riley, 36, saw Richard Osman's comments on Twitter, prompting her to warn: "Never mess with Susie D." As her almost 697,000 amazed Twitter followers looked on, she likened the conflict between the two stars to military combat.Richard, 51, had originally tweeted to confirm he would not be replacing Anne Robinson, 77, as Countdown's new host.He used the opportunity to aim a cheeky dig at Susie, 57, while doing so."I keep reading I'm the favourite to be the new Countdown host. But there are 3 problems," he told his 1.1 million followers."1.

Lorraine Kelly has spoken out after being put on the spot about becoming the new Countdown host following Anne Robinson's departure from the show.

Rachel Riley has shared her excitement over the "next chapter" in the show's history following the exit of Anne Robinson.The stunning presenter and maths whiz posted a photo on her Instagram as she posed in a blue plunging dress with pink flowers as she opted for a subtle makeup look.She pinned her hair back and finished the look with a swipe of lippy as she donned a casual exterior as she held up a glass of wine to the camera.As she shared the snap she captioned the photo: "Drinking a toast to the next chapter in Countdown's history...

CAROL Vorderman broke her silence and said it would be her 'honour' to host Countdown after Anne Robinson quit the TV gig. It comes as The Sun exclusively revealed show bosses are desperate for Carol to return as host and is the top choice to replace Anne Robinson.

Anne Robinson has seen out and about near for the first time since she quit Countdown. Anne, 77, was wearing a jean jacket and red and white shawl as she ran errands near the BBC Broadcasting House just days after stepping down as the host of the Channel 4 quiz show.The former The Weakest Link presenter was in the role for a year, having joined the popular daytime show in 2021. Anne became the first woman to take on the main presenting job, and sixth person in total, as she recorded 265 episodes.

Lorraine Kelly has opened up on whether or not she will be replacing Anne Robinson on Countdown. Anne, 77, announced she will be taking a step back from the Channel 4 show to spend some quality time with her family on Monday (May 2).

BBC to Channel 4 to become the new host of Countdown, in the aftermath of Anne Robinson's decision to quit. However, a new tweet from the quiz show star made his thoughts clear on the matter.Referencing an article that had been written mentioning him as a potential Countdown newcomer, he clarified his status, while aiming a cheeky dig at Dictionary Corner favourite, Susie Dent, 57."I keep reading I'm the favourite to be the new Countdown host.