BBC quiz show with Alexander Armstrong, 52, since its 2009 debut, will continue to appear on the show's celebrity specials. While Alexander will be joined by a roster of guest presenters in the immediate future, a number of stars have been tipped to permanently replace Richard on the show.
Countdown star Susie Dent, 57, who appears in the Channel 4 show's Dictionary Corner, is the frontrunner, according to bookmakers Ladbrokes, which is offering odds of 5/2.
A trained lexicographer and etymologist, she has been a regular on Countdown since 1992 and has also published a series of annual Language Reports for the Oxford University Press.
Comedian Alex Horne, 43, is best known as the creator of Bafta-winning TV series Taskmaster, in which stand-ups compete in bizarre and surreal challenges.
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