Presenter Carol Vorderman, 47, has announced she is to step down from presenting the Channel 4 television game show Countdown.

 

She started work on the quiz show when it began in 1982, alongside host Richard Whiteley.

 

When Whiteley died in 2005, she continued to co-present with Des Lynam, who was later replaced by Des O'Connor.

 

Vorderman's announcement comes after O'Connor said on Wednesday that he is also quitting the programme.

 

Countdown was the first programme seen on Channel 4.

 

The network's director of television Kevin Lygo said he was "extremely sorry to see Carol leave".

 

Countdown has been such a huge part of her life for so long

 

John Miles,

Vorderman's manager

 

"She was the first woman on Channel 4 and has made an enormous contribution to the success of Countdown over the last 25 years," he said.

 

"We hope to work with her again on other projects."

 

Nearly 5,000 episodes of the quiz show - a mixture of word games and mathematical problems - has run for more than 25 years.

 

End of an era

 

With a high IQ as well as degrees in engineering, Vorderman was seen as a natural to calculate complicated mathematical problems on the programme.

 

In a statement, Vorderman's manager John Miles said she considered quitting the show when Whiteley died but eventually agreed to continue.

 

He said: "Countdown has been such a huge part of her life for so long.

 

"Carol wants to thank all of the crew, the thousands of contestants who have played the game and the millions of Countdown viewers for whom she has the greatest respect.

 

"She is extremely sad."

 

Another Countdown regular, lexicographer Susie Dent, said the news was "devastating" for the show.

 

"It's the end of an era for Countdown, and it's the end of an era for me - Carol has been my colleague, my mentor, and my friend for over 15 years," she added.

 

"She and Richard together made one of the strongest and enduring shows television has ever seen, and also built one of the closest teams."

 

 

It is not right!

Oh bollocks- I knew this would happen though. :(

:o Carol :( :(

The end of Countdown :(

Exactly they have to end it :( </3 It was bad enough without Richard bless his heart - But Carol was like the only person who held Countdown together other than Susie Dent lol :o.

 

Sadddd </3.

Vorderman 'quits over 90% pay cut'

Source: uk.news.yahoo.com

 

Press Assoc. - 1 hour 39 minutes agoCountdown presenter Carol Vorderman quit the show after she was told to take or leave a 90% pay cut, her manager has claimed.

 

Vorderman, who worked on the Channel 4 game show for 26 years, had offered to accept a pay cut of one-third in line with the show's 33% budget cut, John Miles said.

 

But she said she felt she was left with no alternative but to quit after she was told to take or leave the offer on the table.

 

Her former co-presenter, Richard Whiteley, died in 2005 and Mr Miles claimed one of the show's bosses told Ms Vorderman: "Countdown easily survived without Richard, it can easily survive without you."

 

Ms Vorderman said she was allowing her manager to release the statement "so that the Countdown viewers and all the team know the truth".

 

She added: "I am devastated that my joyous time with one of the best programmes on TV has ended this way. I was happy to continue doing the numbers and letters for years to come. I wish all of my friends and colleagues every success in the future. I'll miss them all."

 

After Mr Whiteley's death, Des Lynam took over as the show's main presenter from September 2005 until December 2006. His successor, Des O'Connor, announced he was quitting on Wednesday.

 

Vorderman, 47, has been with the show since it began in 1982 and was the first woman to appear on Channel 4.

 

When her decision to quit was made public, Mr Miles said she did not want to bond with yet another new co-presenter and felt it was "time to leave".

 

Today he said: "Since Carol's departure from Countdown there has been a series of 'off the record' media briefings that insinuated that Carol had exited the programme because she was demanding more money.This is not true."

 

 

Its really ironic that 2 days ago i watched Countdown for the first time ever i think. The tv guide didn't say it was a repeat but it looked like one from 2000 because it was very old fashioned. I could tell that it was way past its prime, but its quite sad.

Its really ironic that 2 days ago i watched Countdown for the first time ever i think. The tv guide didn't say it was a repeat but it looked like one from 2000 because it was very old fashioned. I could tell that it was way past its prime, but its quite sad.

 

you hadnt watched it until 2 days ago, what do you do with your life?

Oh well, it looks like all good things come to an end.

 

And at the very least it looks like Countdown is surely heading for an indefinite sabbatical at the very least (a la Dr Who 1989 - 2005).

 

Still if Deal Or No Deal is still going as strong in 2030 on Channel 4 then it has done well.

I got bored of Deal Or No Deal after about 6 months :( if it lasts for 5 more years it will have done incredibly well

^ Oh I agree Rich. The format is just annoying now.

 

The best gameshow will always be Catch Phrase. :heart:.

i no longer watch snore or no snore... it is very very boring.

 

countdown was never the same after richard whiletly died... him and carol WERE countdown.

I got bored of Deal Or No Deal after about 6 months :( if it lasts for 5 more years it will have done incredibly well

 

 

Me too. Used to never miss it when it started but can't be bothered watching it now. Boring.

I cant say I blame her for leaving.. She offers to take a 30% pay cut but the producers force her to take a 90% one... Bit out of order that..... I think now without her and Richard they should just knock the show on the head... It was never really the same without Richard anyway, and now without Carol, it'll just be a lot worse....

countdown was never the same after richard whiletly died... him and carol WERE countdown.

 

I aggree, when Richard Whitley died, i think countdown should have gone with him as a mark of respect.

wow big news, cant believe it!

To be fair she's vastly overpaid for the fairly simple job she does. Anyone who can present and has a basic understanding of letters and numbers could do it...

Getting the numbers as quick as her, when they're all naffy small numbers cannot be done by any other than Carol :drama:

 

C4 thinks they can do Countdown without her, go ahead - try, and watch your ratings drop like a stone. Carol's right to leave, being forced to take a 90% paycut is ridiculous.

The owner of the rights of Countdown has threatened to pull the plug after the shocking treatment C4 have given Carol.

The future of Countdown has been thrown into doubt after the Belgian man who owns the rights to the popular Channel Four quiz threatened to pull the plug.

 

Presenter Carol Vorderman has claimed she quit after 26 years because she was told to take or leave a 90% pay cut.

 

Businessman Marcel Stellman, who owns the show's rights, said: "I am upset for Carol. I control the format and without the format there is no show."

 

Source: Teletext - http://www.teletext.co.uk/news/national/58...threatened.aspx

Some people on other forums seem to be annoyed she's complaining about the 90% pay cut ... £900,000 was far too much for her to be paid for the show, but a 90% cut is such a slap in the face, especially after 26 years of loyalty to the show. She did right to leave, and this should be the end of the show.