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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Carol Vorderman quits Countdown | Carol Vorderman quits Countdown |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Presenter Carol Vorderman, 47, has announced she is to step down from presenting the Channel 4 television game show Countdown. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 and Carol Vorderman was the first woman to be televised on the network. | Countdown was the first programme seen on Channel 4 and Carol Vorderman was the first woman to be televised on the network. |
| 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 John Miles,Vorderman's manager | 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 John Miles,Vorderman's manager |
| Nearly 5,000 episodes of the quiz show - a mixture of word games and mathematical problems - has run for more than 25 years. | Nearly 5,000 episodes of the quiz show - a mixture of word games and mathematical problems - has run for more than 25 years. |
| With a high IQ as well as degrees in engineering, Vorderman was seen as a natural to calculate complicated mathematical problems on the programme. | 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. | 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. | 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. | "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." | "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." |