Channel 4 staple, Countdown, has been through some upheavals since the death of Richard Whitely, never seeming able to sit still and stick to presenters and format. Of the old-guard, Carol Vorderman, who left the show a year ago in less than amicable terms. Now, with Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley, the show seems to be more stable than ever before. However, here comes Carol to rock the boat again.
Reports say that Vorderman is “outraged” after Countdown producers admitted that the show’s presenters are given tips through earpieces. The bosses at the show recently confirmed that Dictionary Corner experts wear the devices in order to be fed answers.
Vorderman is now angry because she feels that fans of the show could now bring her mathematical prowess into question. A source close to the star told The Mirror: “Carol is outraged people might think she wore an earpiece and was told answers through it.
“Carol never wore an earpiece at all when she did the show and she fears she might get tarred by this. All her answers were all her own – she really is that clever!”
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “As is common for studio recordings, all presenters, including Susie [Dent], are in touch via an earpiece to enable them to communicate with producers on matters ranging from camera directions to timings.
“The producer will sometimes supply extra ideas as there are often multiple options to ensure viewers are given the best possible answers. This has always been the case and we’ve always been transparent about that.”
What do you think of the news? Did you always think that this was the case and this is much ado about nothing? Do you feel cheated by the show and this is the latest example of TV fakery?