Anne Robinson will be leaving Countdown as host after one year in the hot seat.
Anne, 77-year-old former Weakest Link star, joined Channel 4’s quiz show last year as its sixth presenter. She was also the first woman to assume the role.
After much speculation about who would replace Nick Hewer at The Apprentice, she took over the letters and numbers program last year.
Anne has recorded 265 episodes, which is a clear indication that she stayed for longer than she had signed up for.
“It was a great show to host. And I stayed for longer than I had signed up for. She shared that it was time for an older woman, and announced her departure from the gameshow.
She said that she hopes to change people’s perceptions of what older women can do, and even praises the show for keeping her brain active.
She said, “I hope that I’ve also encouraged TV bosses too to realize that not all women at a wrong end of seventies are in care home playing bingo and watching conjuring trick videos,”
Countdown’s genius is its ability to keep your brain active. I run 5k on most days of week.
“And I can now do ananagrams at twice the speed that I could last year.”
The TV presenter is desperate to spend more quality time with her family, and to travel across the pond.
“But I have grandchildren, large gardens, and a home here in New York, all of which deserve more of my attention,” she said.
Anne will continue to appear on shows through the summer. Channel 4 has confirmed that a new host will be announced shortly.
Show spokespersons praised the show’s ‘quick-witted host’ for being an ‘inspirational host’ on this iconic program.
Countdown was launched for the first time in 1982. Anne was the presenter and followed the lead of Richard Whiteley and Des Lynam and Des O’Connor.
In 2021, she joined the daytime program along with mathematician Rachel Riley (with her first broadcast on June 28th).
Riley denied reports that she and Anne had a ‘feud’ in November 2021, telling Lorraine on ITV that tabloids were ‘not to be believed’
Rachel, who replaced Carol Voderman on the show in 2009 and is now the host, believes that the media wants to make up stories because of the fact that women are working together.
Despite being aware of ‘all of the headlines about the feuds escalating’ while she was on maternity leave the maths whizz stated, in keeping with Anne’s famously icy public persona that’she’ wasn’t the cuddliest person,’ but she made Countdown hers.
“She is taking stuff from the contestants. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s barbed. Rachel stated that she has a different flavor.
Anne was well-known for her sharp remarks to contestants during The Weakest Link, which she first presented in 2000 and ended 12 years later.
