Des Lynam Quits Countdown

Unfortunately this looks more true than other recent reports (i.e. the show moving to London).

I wonder if other options were considered too - such as cutting the show back to 30 minutes and cutting the number of episodes.


Des Lynam has done a difficult job in replacing the irreplaceable - and arguably it'll be more difficult to replace him than it was to replace Richard Whitely.


On the other hand though it's not unusual for a long serving presenter to be replaced by someone who anchors for just a short time and then followed by another long serving presenter - the best recent example being This Morning.

Perhaps in a few years time people will forget that Des hosted the show for a couple of years!



Considering all the articles suggest 18 months I assume Des will be back for the Jan-Jun series - IIRC his initial contract was 2 years.

The article says that Lynam took over from Richard Whiteley 18 months ago. This is not true - if it was, then it means that Lynam started in February 2005. Richard Whiteley was taken ill at the beginning of May 2005 and died in June 2005. Lynam's first Countdown aired in late 2005. Here is the proof

Lynam gets Countdown job

Lynam's Countdown debut

If it is true that he is left, then maybe the clock should stop on Countdown forever. My view is that the show should have died with Richard Whiteley - it was his show and it's nowhere near as good with Lynam.

Can't really fault Des on that - although I kinda wonder what the hell it has to do with Channel 4 where its made, surely they just pay Yorkshire/Granada/ITV Productions/whatever they're calling themselves this week an amount of money to supply a number of programmes, they couldn't care less where it's made?

Well if he does quit I hope Carol will take over.

And for everyone doubting this story in this thread, does the presence of an article on the BBC and confirmation from his agent help ?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/5394396.stm

Exactly what a fool!

Mind you I'm glad he got the gig or else Noel wouldn't have done Deal Or No Deal and had such a huge return. Countdown is a nothing show nowadays just end it is what I say.

What a difference a year makes last year Countdown was the cover story for Radio Times and in all the newspapers with tonnes of promotion. Nothing was said about the show that followed it, a little programme called Deal Or No Deal. And read Thomas Sutcliffe's words in the article.

Who would have thought that DOND would overtake Countdown and provide Edmonds Lazarus like comeback to TV?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4396010.stm

he seamed quite happy travelling the world to comentate on World Cups and European Cups

Loads of tv people travel the country to work, I doubt the entire cast of Corry, Emerdale and eastenders live in Manchester, Leeds and London

they were even planning to move the entire programme south just for him, don't they have hotels, guest houses travel lodges in Leeds?

Richard got the job in the first place because he was Leeds based (and it started as a regional show). Do they have anyone at Leeds who could take it on, someone like Duncan Wood who is known nationally through GMTV.

On the other hand this could be a further excuse to move it to London, they could say no one wanted to commute to Leeds.

If they move it to London, what are they going to produce in Leeds?, I'm sure that's the only studio in use now at Leeds!

How far in advance do they film then, if they are doing 5eps a day?

At a guess, Emmerdale ?

I would have thought that it would be cheaper to produce such a show in Leeds than London.

Everything from salaries to rent / rates are more expensive in London than in most northern cities (such as Leeds).

In reality Countdown and many other shows can be filmed wherever they like, the average viewer cannot tell when they are broadcast. With this in mind facilities such as Leeds should be valuable to a commercial broadcaster such as ITV.