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26
September 2005
Des Lynam To
Take Over Countdown
Former
sports presenter Des Lynam is to be the
new host of Channel
4's
daytime quiz show Countdown.
Lynam
will take over the role which was
previously held by Richard Whiteley, who
died in June.
The
63-year-old fronted sports programmes on
the BBC for many years until he defected
to ITV in 1999. He left the network in
2004.
Since
then, he has fronted The World's Greatest
Sporting Legend for Sky One, and hosted a
Radio Five Live talk show.
Together
with co-host Carol Vorderman, Whiteley
presented Countdown for 23 years until his
death aged 61 following heart
surgery.
The
words and numbers game was the first show
to air on Channel 4 when it launched in
1982.
He said:
"Channel 4 came to me out of the blue and
I was flattered and surprised to be asked
to present Countdown - a show of which I
have always been a fan.
"It will
be a hugely difficult task to replace
Richard Whiteley but I'm very much looking
forward to working with Carol Vorderman
who, I am sure, will lead me by the hand
and steer me through it."
Vorderman
said: "Des and I have known each other for
nearly 10 years and we've always got on
really
well. All
the Countdown family has missed the
programme and our wonderful Countdown
viewers have been so
supportive. Des
has always been a Countdown viewer and had
a huge respect for Richard. In that we
find great comfort."
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