Three songs to celebrate the dawn of a new era on the venerable Channel 4 words and numbers quiz Countdown today, as the show has a brand new presenting team. Genial host Jeff Stelling replaces Des O'Connor in the hotseat, while twenty-two-year-old Oxford maths graduate Rachel Riley takes over from Carol Vorderman on the letters & numbers board. (The indispensable and ineffably great Susie Dent's still present in Dictionary Corner, though.)
Football fans in the UK - or at least those with access to Sky Sports News - will already know all about the legend that is Jeff Stelling; his peerless anchoring of the weekly six-hour marathon that is Soccer Saturday, his fondness for a terrible pun, devotion to Hartlepool United FC and general all-round likeability. And, reassuringly, he's proving just as adept a host on Countdown. Two days in and it's as if he's been presenting it all his life. 'Effortless' is the word. The best sports presenter bar none and already the best presenter Countdown have ever had. What a guy.
Special mention too for new girl Rachel. She's understandably looked a bit nervous in her first two appearance on the show, making a couple of mistakes on the numbers game, but I think she'll be fine. She seems like a really nice girl and it's a relief to finally have someone other than the overpaid, slightly-too-pleased-with-herself Carol Vorderman doing the sums. Apparently there's a photo somewhere of Rachel as a six-year-old cutting a cake decorated in a Countdown style that she'd received for her birthday, so she's obviously steeped in the programme. (The fact that she's from Southend has to count in her favour too.)
Anyway, you'll doubtless be devastated to hear that I couldn't find Bucks Fizz's New Beginning anywhere so I'm afraid you'll just have to settle for these songs instead to commemorate the changing of the Countdown guard!
Action Biker - TV Star mp3
Frente! - Oh Brilliance mp3
Cameo - Word Up mp3
7 comments:
"The indispensable and ineffably great Susie Dent's still present in Dictionary Corner, though."
I'll have to disallow 'indispensable' since you've clearly cheated by using too many letters, but I'll give you 18 points and a round of applause from the audience for 'ineffably'.
P.S. Frente!
Smashing post. It's nice to know I'm not alone in my Dent worship.
And it's nice to know I'm not alone in being tired beyond words (even nine-letter ones) with Carol Vorderman. So hooray for Rachel, kudos to Jeff, and fair play to yourself too, for writing the only blog I know that would use "ineffably". Good times...
Wow, that new girl looks great. Fantastic hair!
And woah, Frente! Haven't heard those in years!
I've got a funky version of the Countdown theme on an Acid Jazz comp if you need it?
Yes please, PM, that would be great.
Thanks for the comments, everyone. Nice to see so much love for all things Countdown - and especially Susie Dent! I fear for poor old Andrew Sachs, though, who's also sitting Dictionary Corner this week; he's already told the most boring anecdote I've ever heard in my life (concerning "The Scottish Play") and it's still only Wednesday!
I really must do a proper Frente post one of these days, too. They were one of my favourite bands a decade or so ago.
P.S. Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth!
Wow, that's the second time I've heard Frente! mentioned in as many days. Sadly I have never seen this show but as a quiz show fan I'm sure I'd enjoy it!
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