Rachel Riley says she chooses which rude words to spell on Countdown
"Kids can watch [Countdown] but anyone with my kind of dirty sense of humour can watch."
It's the daytime show that leaves contestants (and us viewers at home) scratching our heads, wondering what words to make out of multiple consonants and too many vowels and scrabbling to figure out mental maths challenges – but Countdown is also home to some rather hilarious rude words also.
And it seems as though those cheeky mishaps and rude words that appear on the board are intentional, according to Rachel Riley.
Speaking to The Sun, the Channel 4 series's co-presenter has admitted that it's often hard to keep a straight face when spelling out some of the explicit words on the show.
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She told the newspaper: "I get to chose what I put on the board on Countdown, the whole idea is to pull a straight face. There are some really weird stuff that comes out but that's the fun of it."
She added: "Kids can watch but anyone with my kind of dirty sense of humour can watch."
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The popular quiz show is hosted by Northern Irish broadcaster Colin Murray, after Anne Robinson stepped down from the helm after a year in the role.
Murray joined the show back in July 2022 and has since graced our screens daily, with a host of guests in Dent's Dictionary Corner.
The new series sees Murray joined by fan favourite presenters, Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner and Riley, who has been part of the Countdown team since 2009 after taking over from Carol Vorderman. Vorderman appeared on Countdown for 26 years from 1982 until 2008.
Countdown continues on week days at 2:10pm on Channel 4. Find something to watch with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
