Countdown return adds up, says Nick
NICK Hewer has declared “nothing will stop Countdown” as he shrugged off concerns about returning to the studio to film the show within weeks.
The 76-year-old, who has high blood pressure and is more at risk from the coronavirus than his younger sidekick Rachel Riley, 34, promised to take care when the cameras roll again – without a studio audience.
The Channel 4 quiz show host added: “I will go back happily to the studio if not cautiously, I will keep my distance.
“You can trust over-70s to be responsible, they know their vulnerability. Nothing will stop Countdown.”
Maths whiz Rachel had just returned to the show after having a baby with Strictly Come Dancing star Pasha Kovalev, 40, when the pandemic stalled production.
She admitted she has been enjoying spending more time with her fivemonth-old daughter, Maven Aria, and has even had an extra pair of hands to help out as her mother-in-law was over from Russia when she got stranded in the UK. Rachel said: “There is a provisional date for July. When we go back we won’t have any audience unfortunately. But like the rest of the country we are just going to play it by ear.
“When we are in the studio we should be able to socially distance, we can mic ourselves up.”
But she added: “Nick is 76 so he has got to be a little bit careful.”
Countdown has been keeping viewers entertained in the afternoons since it first aired in November 1982 when RichardWhiteley was at the helm.