Colin Murray will reportedly step in for the next few months.
Colin Murray is reportedly set to step in as temporary Countdown host for the rest of the year – and has already started filming new episodes.
The Northern Irish presenter is said to be taking on the role temporarily after it was revealed last week that Anne Robinson was stepping down after less than a year in the role.
It's not the first time he's sat in the presenter's chair: he previously guest-hosted several episodes last year while Nick Hewer was shielding from COVID-19 – and proved very popular among fans of the long-running daytime game show.
According to The Mirror, he's not currently being considered as a permanent replacement – but that could change if the temporary stint goes well.
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RadioTimes.com have contacted Channel 4 for comment on this story.
Several big names have been linked to the vacant post since Robinson's departure was announced last week – although early favourite Richard Osman quickly ruled himself out of the running and threw his weight behind Murray.
Sir Trevor McDonald, Carol Vorderman, Moira Stuart, Victoria Coren Mitchell and Paul O'Grady are among the other famous faces to have been mentioned as possibilities.
Whoever does land the gig will be the seventh permanent host in the show's history following Robinson, Hewer, Jeff Stelling, Des O'Connor, Des Lynam, and original presenter Richard Whiteley – the latter of whom was on the show for 23 years until his death in 2005.
Read more: Countdown's Nick Hewer explains why Carol Vorderman shouldn't host
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Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
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