Nick Hewer has announced he will not be presenting Countdown in the episodes recorded during lockdown as he is shielding at home.
The 76-year-old said on Twitter that BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Colin Murray would be standing in for him.
Murray took over as temporary host of the Channel 4 quiz show on Monday, according to Hewer.
Good luck to Colin Murray, popular dictionary corner guest and Countdown fanatic, who takes over from me as host today and for the rest of Covid Lockdown recordings (although I’ll still be on your screens for a week or two) as this 76 year old shields at home – in spite of……
— Nick Hewer (@Nick_Hewer) November 9, 2020
“Good luck to Colin Murray, popular dictionary corner guest and Countdown fanatic, who takes over from me as host today and for the rest of Covid lockdown recordings (although I’ll still be on your screens for a week or two) as this 76-year-old shields at home – in spite of the amazing military-style safety protocols put in place by ITV Studios and Channel 4,” Hewer tweeted.
“Between you and me, I’d have confidently carried on, but the family has handcuffed me to a radiator, saying ‘You’re not going anywhere’.
“So have fun Colin and keep my chair warm for me.”
In July Hewer outlined the coronavirus safety measures put in place on the set of Countdown in an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
The former Apprentice star said the makers of the programme had gone to “such trouble” over the precautions as his age makes him vulnerable to coronavirus.