Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Euan McColm: Happy birthday, Countdown – a bright beacon of positivity for 40 years

Susie Dent, pictured during her first Countdown show, in 1992 (Photo: ITV/Shutterstock)
Susie Dent, pictured during her first Countdown show, in 1992 (Photo: ITV/Shutterstock)

The success of Countdown is not merely about the elegance of the game. What makes it special is the on-screen team, writes Euan McColm.

Working from home brings with it certain benefits.

For one thing, there’s no dress code. I’m writing this while wearing tartan pyjama trousers and a ragged Adam Ant T-shirt.

And, for another, there’s no boss to look reproachfully as I slowly cover myself in custard cream crumbs throughout the day.

But, for me, the greatest advantage of working from home is that I can schedule my lunch break around my favourite TV show, Channel 4’s Countdown.

The daily words and numbers game was the first programme to be shown by the broadcaster on its launch in 1982. On Wednesday, both channel and show marked their 40th anniversary.

Over those four decades, there have been more than 7,000 episodes of this brilliant parlour game, where contestants are invited to create words from nine letters and reach numerical targets as the clock counts down 30 seconds.

On-screen cast make Countdown what it is

It’s a simple format, based on a French show – Des Chiffres et des Lettres – which has been on the go since 1965.

But the success of Countdown is not merely about the elegance of the game. What makes it special is the on-screen team that guides us gently through each 45-minute episode.

Resident numbers expert, Rachel Riley, is a shining, positive force with a wicked sense of humour. Regular viewers will be well-acquainted with her butter-wouldn’t-melt looks to camera when the letters threaten to spell out something risque.

Over in Dictionary Corner – joined by a celebrity guest each week – lexicographer Susie Dent adjudicates on contestants’ submissions. “Oh,” she’ll say, “I’m afraid it’s not in the dictionary,” breaking the bad news with a sympathetic smile. “Brilliant!” She’ll say, her face lighting up, when someone gets a nine.

Colin Murray is living up to Richard Whiteley’s legacy

On its launch, Countdown was chaired by Richard Whiteley, a funny, irreverent fellow with a gift for putting contestants at ease.

Colin Murray’s pleasure at being allowed to helm his favourite TV programme is always evident and makes for joyous viewing

This is a crucial skill for a presenter of the show, and one that those who have taken the reins since Whiteley’s death in 2005 have displayed to varying degrees. Countdown competitors, you see, are often awkward, eccentric, and nervous. And they need gentle handling.

A year during which Anne Robinson presented illustrated this starkly. Robinson’s tiresome, scary boss schtick created uneasy moments which jarred.

Countdown cast members in 1985, including Cathy Hytner, Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman. (Photo: ITV/Shutterstock)

More recently, the DJ Colin Murray has been in charge. Though not yet confirmed as permanent host, Murray is made for the job.

A fan of the show since childhood, he understands perfectly what is required of him. His pleasure at being allowed to helm his favourite TV programme is always evident and makes for joyous viewing.

So, happy birthday, Countdown, and thanks, Rachel, Susie, and Colin, for creating a little oasis of kindness and positivity every week day.


Euan McColm is a regular columnist for various Scottish newspapers

Conversation