Anne Robinson is set to return to TV as the new host of Countdown later this year.
She will become the first ever female presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow – replacing Nick Hewer in the hot seat.
The news was confirmed on the Twitter account of C4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch programme on Monday (February 15) – which posted a Countdown-style image of the letters to drop the hint for fans.
Best-known for her stint on quiz programme The Weakest Link, Robinson developed a pantomime villainess reputation in the world of quiz TV for her acid tongue and dry humour – routinely poking fun at contestants.
The 76-year-old has also presented Watchdog and What’s the Problem? With Anne Robinson during a long career.
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Channel 4
In a statement, Robinson said: “I am beyond thrilled to be joining Countdown. The show is almost as old as I am and just as historic.
“I am particularly excited to be working alongside the show’s two other formidable women. Worryingly, Susie [Dent] and Rachel [Riley] are not only very smart but younger, prettier and thinner than me. Sadly, there’s no time for another face lift so I’ll have make do with this old one.
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“Three Clever Girls Do Countdown! Don’t you love the sound of that?”
Robinson is set to start filming in Manchester later in spring, with new episodes expected to broadcast in the summer.
Former host Hewer quit Countdown back in December, having taken over duties from Jeff Stelling in 2011.
Des O’Connor and Des Lynam also presented the show after original host Richard Whiteley – who held the position for more than 22 years until his death in 2005.
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Married at First Sight UK is looking for single Mancs to take part in the next series
Emily Sergeant
Would you like to marry a complete stranger?
If you (somehow) answered yes to that question, then you’ll probably be keen to hear that hit Channel 4 reality show, Married at First Sight UK, is currently on the lookout for brave contestants to take part in the next series.
And you’ll probably be even keener to hear that casting directors are urging single Mancs to stick an application in… if they fancy it.
If you haven’t seen Married at First Sight yet, well then firstly, where have you been? And secondly, it’s a dating show like no other that sees singletons marry complete strangers in a social experiment – and it’s undoubtedly binge-worthy and extremely entertaining.
Married at First Sight UK has opened its casting for the next series / Credit: Channel 4
Contestants – who will not have met or had contact with each other until the wedding day – are matched up with their supposed ‘perfect match’, determined by a group of experts who use “scientific matchmaking methods”.
Once the contestants are married off, the camera follows them for five weeks to see whether the new relationship is a success or not.
Calling on singletons to put their faith in the matchmaking service, Channel 4 wrote in the casting announcement on the ‘Take Part’ section of its website: “If you are ready to swipe left to the dating apps and say ‘I do’ at the altar, then our experts are here to help you find the one.”
Channel 4 wants singletons to put their faith in the matchmaking service / Credit: Channel 4
Casting directors say singles of all ages, backgrounds, gender identities, and sexualities are “welcome to apply” for the new series.
Fancy it then?
Applications are currently open for the next series, and to apply to the show, you just need to be over 18 years of age, live in the UK, and feel ready for marriage.
‘Game’s gone’: Manchester City had an unexpected commentator in the Champions League last night – Noel Gallagher
Danny Jones
In case you weren’t tuned into the Champions League action, you’ll no doubt be surprised to hear who served as a special guest commentator for Manchester City last night: Noel Gallagher.
As you do.
Believe it or not, we’re not pulling your leg; the iconic Manc musician wasn’t just at the stadium to watch his beloved Blues in Lisbon on Wednesday evening, he was given the opportunity to join Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist in the commentary box for their game against Sporting CP.
In what was a first not only for TNT Sports but indeed a major televised football competition too, Noel Gallagher didn’t just share a few quick words about his club before or after the game from pitchside, he was on co-comms alongside the professionals for the entire game.
Safe to say there were a few fair double-takes when people switched on the telly to hear the guy who usually sings ‘Little by Little’ talking about possession and pass completion rates.
Although ‘Fletch’ and McCoist naturally did most of the heavy lifting on the night, the older Gallagher brother was regularly turned to throughout the game. In fact, we were surprised to hear just how many times one of the two broadcasters uttered ‘Noel?’ to get his thoughts.
Gallagher’s association with the club has only grown stronger in recent years, having often given his thoughts pre and post-match at the Etihad – not to mention most recently collaborating on an official Oasis ‘Definitely City’ clothing collection – but this was very left-field, to say the least.
Obviously trying to hold his bias as best he could, the 57-year-old was actually rather critical of Man City before, during and after the match, especially with their results of late, initially predicting a 2-2 draw but warning of more goals in the second half when the two teams went in at the break level with one a piece.
Nevertheless, the decision to get a celebrity turned pundit in the commentary box was just too jarring for some watching at home, and many took issue with the fact that a very famous City fan became the focal point of their otherwise regularly scheduled programming and impartial coverage.
While there were plenty that no doubt did enjoy the special one-off guest appearance by the legendary songwriter and guitar player as a bit of fun to mix things up, the vast majority slammed TNT, calling it everything from “embarrassing” and “a joke” to asking, “What the fuck is football coming to?”
To sum up the general consensus in one very cliched footballing sentiment, the phrase seen most online was simply: “The game’s gone.”
Noel fuckin Gallagher in commentary. Seriously. Another nail in the coffin of modern broadcasting. Imagine tuning in to United v Juventus in the 90s and having to listen to Rick Astley.
The Times‘ take on Noel Gallagher moonlighting at commentator was to dub it a stunt that “represented the world going completely bonkers”, quipping, “What’s next, Ozzy [Osbourne] on [Aston] Villa?”
Besides commentary itself, very few would have predicted the outcome at full-time and certainly not the scoreline, as Sporting won the game 4-1 with three comeback goals scored inside just 11 minutes and a final blow delivered by in-form striker Viktor Gyökeres to round off his hattrick.
In the end, it turned out a few Reds managed to get some enjoyment out of the surprise appearance as there was double the irony in that not only did City go on to lose while Noel was commentating but it was also at the hands of Rúben Amorim, the head coach set to take over at Manchester United next week.
One person fan wrote, “I take it all back whoever decided to put Noel Gallagher in the commentary box is a f***ing genius” while another added, “Can we have Noel on co-comms every week?”
What did you make of getting a celebrity on co-commentary – is it something you’d like to see more of or was it not your cup of tea? You can watch the highlights from their significant defeat, their heaviest since September 2020 and a rare margin for Man City in the Guardiola era, down below.
It’s the first time Manchester City have lost three games in a row since 2018.
The Manc -
15th February 2021 
