Nick Hewer has outlined the social distancing measures which have been put in place on the Countdown set to enable the game show to resume filming.
The 76-year-old host told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that the makers of the programme had gone to “such trouble” over the safety precautions as his age makes him “vulnerable” to coronavirus.
The Channel 4 programme resumed filming last week after production was initially paused because of the pandemic.
Great news! @C4Countdown has returned to the studio. Following social distancing guidelines of course. We look forward to seeing @Nick_Hewer, @RachelRileyRR and @susie_dent back on air with new shows on Channel 4 soon. #Countdown pic.twitter.com/zSaYBqlHqJ
— Channel 4 Press (@C4Press) July 14, 2020
Hewer said it was “great” to be producing new episodes, adding: “Not least because we won’t be bullied by Twitter by people saying ‘When are you coming back?’
“It’s wonderful and the production people worked miracles to make sure that everything is absolutely rock-solid safe.”
Countdown is being filmed without a live audience and with social distancing measures on set.
A one-way system has also been put in place around the studio in an effort to stop people coming into close contact with each other.
Microphones have been fitted to desks to stop sound engineers having to attach them to the clothing of contestants, and those appearing on the programme are doing their own make-up.
Hewer said a make-up artist stands two metres away and instructs him as he gets himself ready to appear on air.
He added that the producers of the programme are playing “catch-up” to try to make enough episodes of the programme.
“We’ve got to get 245 shows under our belt and we have only got 50 this year so far, so we are in a hurry,” he said.
Hewer said he did not know when the new episodes would air.