[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.