[Yorksman]

It's a completely different show now, not just to Anne but to Nick as well. This is because it's so refreshing to see a host in Colin who is actually interested in the show and not just going through the motions or picking up their pension.

[Jon]

What I like about Colin’s approach is not just the enthusiasm he shows every game like it’s a big Premier League fixture, but also that he’ll have fun with the format so for example when Richard Osman was in dictionary corner he got to host the show for 5 minutes. It really helps as it’s very formulaic otherwise.

[London Lite]

Colin's the best presenter on Countdown since Jeff Stelling personally.

[James2001]

I wonder if Richard was still with us, would him and Carol still be doing it? Most probably, he struck me as the sort of person who'd have kept going, like Brucie.

[Neil Jones]

I wonder if Richard was still with us, would him and Carol still be doing it? Most probably, he struck me as the sort of person who'd have kept going, like Brucie.

Almost certainly I would have thought. Carol Vorderman would have probably stayed after Des had they not knocked her wage down by some obscene amount.

Probably safe to say, much like if you're fortunate enough to be in a job you enjoy, you don't do it for 23 years if you don't like it.

[Andrew]

I wonder if Richard was still with us, would him and Carol still be doing it? Most probably, he struck me as the sort of person who'd have kept going, like Brucie.

Almost certainly I would have thought.  Carol Vorderman would have probably stayed after Des had they not knocked her wage down by some obscene amount.

Probably safe to say, much like if you're fortunate enough to be in a job you enjoy, you don't do it for 23 years if you don't like it.

As well as reducing Carol’s wage which may probably also have happened, Richard would also have had a decision to make when they moved the show to Manchester

[JAS84]

Almost certainly I would have thought.  Carol Vorderman would have probably stayed after Des had they not knocked her wage down by some obscene amount.

Probably safe to say, much like if you're fortunate enough to be in a job you enjoy, you don't do it for 23 years if you don't like it.

As well as reducing Carol’s wage which may probably also have happened, Richard would also have had a decision to make when they moved the show to Manchester

Though considering he was no longer Twice Nightly Whitely by the time he died, having left Calendar, the move might have been less of an issue. A pay cut, on the other hand... he'd have probably wanted more money if it involved a longer commute, not less. Who knows what he would've decided.

[nwtv2003]

They did record an entire series of Countdown at Tyne Tees in either 2000 or 2001 as there was no space at Kirkstall Road, because of the ill fated joint venture, Wellbeing, from Granada and Boots used studio space there. It wasn’t an issue after Wellbeing collapsed as Countdown went back to Leeds.

[Jon]

As well as reducing Carol’s wage which may probably also have happened, Richard would also have had a decision to make when they moved the show to Manchester

Though considering he was no longer Twice Nightly Whitely by the time he died, having left Calendar, the move might have been less of an issue. A pay cut, on the other hand... he'd have probably wanted more money if it involved a longer commute, not less. Who knows what he would've decided.

Whitley was apparently paid less than Voderman and I doubt many of his replacements were paid significantly less than him. So I don’t think his pay would have been an issue. Don’t forget at the same time she was doing Countdown Voderman was doing lots of prime time shows and it was surprising she was still doing daytime Countdown.   

That said I imagine since Anne left all the current stars of the show are on similar money to each other, considering how well established Susie and Rachel are. 

But it’s impossible to say whether Whitley would still be doing it, his health might have deteriorated in another way in the years since he died had he not died. The show probably also benefited from having a new lease of life every few years in some ways too, so difficult to say it wouldn’t have reduced further in popularity. It’s also difficult to say whether more effort would have been made to keep the show somehow in Leeds if Whitley would have been that bothered such as move.

Obviously the decision to cast Anne Robinson seems like it was a mistake, but I think it was a sound one on paper and if nothing else helped raise the profile of the show a bit. At the same time it allows everyone to appreciate Colin’s tenure more than they possibly would had Robinson debacle not have had happened.

[Brekkie]

On paper Anne Robinson was never a good fit for the show and so proved to be the case. It seems to be the case though with so many long running shows they have to get it so wrong before a year or so later bringing in the obvious replacement.