Topic: Des Lynam quits Countdown hotseat

[Simon]

Des Lynam will leave TV quiz Countdown at Christmas, his agent has confirmed.



Jane Morgan said Lynam - who took over as presenter following the death of Richard Whiteley - had "thoroughly enjoyed" being on the Channel 4 show.

Lynam, 64, told the Daily Mirror he would go now to "save the wear and tear". Co-host Carol Vorderman said he was "amazing" and was a hit with fans.

Discussions about moving filming from Leeds to London, to make it easier for Lynam, have now been scrapped.

Many fans of the show had been angered by the possibility that the word and numbers quiz would leave its original home in West Yorkshire.

'Good shape'

Mrs Morgan said: "There was talk about moving it to London as both of the presenters live in the South but he was very concerned about how it would disrupt people who had been working on the show for many years.

"He is very sad as he has thoroughly enjoyed it and has had a great time. He has done it for nearly a year and a half and is leaving the show in pretty good shape, I think."

Lynam travelled 250 miles from his home in Worthing, West Sussex, to the studios in Leeds.

He told the Mirror: "We do five shows in a day which everybody finds extremely tiring. It's the sort of schedule I don't want to commit myself to any more."

The quiz was the first show on Channel 4 when it launched in 1982.



Whiteley - who was the host for 23 years - died days after undergoing heart surgery last June.

Vorderman said it had been "lovely" to work with Lynam.

She said: "He has done an amazing job since taking over following our dreadful loss when Richard died.

"Countdowners have stayed loyal and supportive of the Countdown family and for that we are eternally grateful."

No names have yet been suggested for a replacement.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5394396.stm

[GillE]

No names have yet been suggested for a replacement.

Then I shall suggest one.



Basil Brush.


Gill (who doesn't watch Countdown.)

[chorleydave]

Countdown should have been discontinued after the death of Richard Whiteley.  Everbody knows that.  The only reason Chanell 4 existed was for Countdown.  Can anybody else think off a programme that was unique to Channel 4 and worth keeping?

Channel 4's funding comes mainly from the taxpayer.  As the retards who manage that incredibly poor channel haven't managed to replace Countdown with another popular show, instead having continued it when it could never be the same again, makes me wonder (now there are an enormous number of channels available for free) whether Channel 4 should be shut down completely, or sold off to a company that can actually make something of it.

[sam]

chanel 4 does also have some good documentarys and since its spin off chanel is E4 I'm quite happy that it still exists

[Simon]

Whilst I agree that Countdown has never been the same since Richard Whiteley died, it is as much a part of Channel 4 as Coronation Street is of ITV, and I was pleased it continued.  Des Lynam was OK, after a shaky start, but unlike Whiteley, he never gave me the impression that he was all that committed to Countdown, so I am not astonished to see him quit, but surprised it came quite so soon.

Channel 4 has also shown some great US dramas (The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Hill Street Blues), produced some of it's own (recently, Green Wing, Shameless), and documentary series like Dispatches and Cutting Edge are always worth looking at.  Jamie's School Dinners also came from C4, which has had a major impact in the UK, and I'm hooked on Deal Or No Deal!  You also have Film4, which has produced some classic movies (Trainspotting, Withnail & I, Touching The Void, to name a few), so I can't agree that C4 only exists for Countdown.

[Camstop]

and I'm hooked on Deal Or No Deal!  

 

[GillE]

I watch C4 much more than ITV1 and I'd be very sad to see it go.  I really like the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall programmes and some of the fly-on-the-wall documentaries.  They're running one right now about a scheme Birmingham Royal Ballet has started to help local children 'at risk'.  It helps you appreciate what other people have to endure.

[Lona]

Des O'connor is to be the new host.  I just said that to Sandra the other night.

I must be psychic.

[Simon]

I wouldn't have chosen him myself, but I'll reserve judgement until I've seen him present the show.

[Sandra]

Des O'connor is to be the new host.  I just said that to Sandra the other night.

I must be psychic.

Or more likely one of us was p**sed as I dont remember even discussing it, and I havent had a drink for ages 

[Simon]

Also, it was in the papers last week. 

[Lona]

Or more likely one of us was p**sed as I dont remember even discussing it, and I havent had a drink for ages 

You are decidedly becoming more senile the older you get Sandra. 

Ask Hugh, I mentioned it weeks ago.

[Simon]

Just to confirm Lona's psychic prediction...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6144420.stm