What Makes a Good Countdown Presenter?

[Philip A]

Since the passing of the great Richard Whiteley in 2005, Countdown has overseen 7 different presenters in a mere under 16 years, including 2 stand-ins: Des Lynam, Des O’Connor, Jeff Stelling, Nick Hewer, Colin Murray, Anne Robinson and Sir Trevor McDonald. Of these, Hewer served the longest: 18 series and over 2,000 shows in 9 and a half years.

But the question is: how you determine the host’s suitability for the role? What are the qualifications? What characteristics win over the viewers? How should the host interact with the contestants, even in the absence of a bit of banter?

First of all, the host should have a connection with what the show is about: testing the strength of word power, anagramming ability, arithmetic and problem solving of 2 contestants under studio pressure. If the host loves word play, be it from crosswords or Scrabble, then that’s a start.

But the host also gets the privilege of meeting over 100 contestants in 6 months, and this is a where a broad knowledge of the world comes in. The host should demonstrate interest in the contestant’s and go on the journey with them, and support them. Even if the host has little or no interest in their interest, they should be open to learning by default.

You also have to do your best not to be a distraction. It’s polite to speak to the contestants and have a good banter (as long as it’s not too personal!), but we feel this only works best before the contestants get stuck into the game. When they’re playing the game, any chatting should be about them currently playing the game, rather than stopping and starting for game-related and non-game related chat (an issue with Sandi Toksvig’s version of Fifteen to One, which, as much as I like her, found it like watching a broken internet connection with the constant stopping and starting).

Interview technique is also important. You should try to avoid asking closed yes or no questions, and ask more open-ended questions:

How many languages can you speak?

NOT…

Do you speak many languages?

Contestants should be treated like guests, as much as the celebrities in dictionary corner. The studio is cluttered, bombarded with lights, cameras and TVs, so it’s really important the host makes the contestants feel welcome and at ease. Easing, not teasing!

The host should also respect the format, and commend the contestant’s efforts and achievements. The host should keep an eye on the proceedings without getting distracted by the non-Countdown action that’s filled up by the anecdotes and the Origins of Words slot: where the contestant is in the seed table; statistics-wise, what score are they averaging? How many conundrums solved? How many 9s unravelled? That’s useful information for the viewers, because one of most important viewing aspects of any game show is wanting a player or players to do well. If no one cares who wins (an issue with the Celebrity Countdown series in 2019) then what’s the point?

A good host also makes the viewers feel lile they’re watching. How you conduct your behaviour, the way you communicate, and your diction are vital here. A rude and acerbic persona might have worked on The Weakest Link, but the right demeanour for hosting Countdown, in my view, is a warm, cosy and cuddly one – like Clive Myrie on Mastermind, who is always kind to the contenders, while also sucks in the viewers with his elaborate speech in the introduction by making them imagine what it’s like to be sitting in that black chair.

Perhaps Countdown – struggling to attain 500k viewers at the moment – should learn from other game shows, currently drawing in more viewers and airing in more viewer-friendly time slots, where the hosts clearly enjoys their jobs (Bradley Walsh, Xander & Richard, Warwick Davies, etc.)? Colin Murray clearly loved the show. A good format on paper isn’t enough. You have to make it presentable too.

If the host isn’t a fit for the role, what do you get? Viewers reaching for the remote and switching off in their droves.

[Callum Todd]

Mark Deeks.

Edit: Oh, sorry, I thought you said 'who makes a good Countdown presenter?'

[David Williams]

Four million people tuned in to see Richard Whiteley, and he had virtually no interaction with the contestants. Maybe that's the answer.

[Gavin Chipper]

Interview technique is also important. You should try to avoid asking closed yes or no questions, and ask more open-ended questions:

How many languages can you speak?

NOT…

Do you speak many languages?

I would have said that the first question is more closed than the second.

"Three."

As opposed to:

"Well, it depends on what you mean by many..."

[Gavin Chipper]

To answer the question: Not someone who asks "Why are all men annoying?" Imagine Nick Hewer asking the same question about women. It's just really childish.

[Tracey Anne Mills]

A presenter that doesn't talk down to you and is rude to the contestants and guests

Has great banter with the contestants and their co-presenters they always make you feel at ease even though you are nervous at times

Has good knowledge of the show and how it works

[Jamie Weisenberg]

A presenter that doesn't talk down to you and is rude to the contestants and guests

Has great banter with the contestants and their co-presenters they always make you feel at ease even though you are nervous at times

Has good knowledge of the show and how it works

Or in other words, Colin Murray.

[L'oisleatch McGraw]

A presenter that doesn't talk down to you AND is rude to the contestants and guests

It'll be hard to find someone who doesn't talk down, yet IS rude to contestants and guests.
You almost had your dream host in Ann Robinson, but she was rarely rude to guests - just contestants.

[Andres Sanchez]

A presenter that doesn't talk down to you AND is rude to the contestants and guests

It'll be hard to find someone who doesn't talk down, yet IS rude to contestants and guests.
You almost had your dream host in Ann Robinson, but she was rarely rude to guests - just contestants.

Wasn't there some kind of tension between her and Philippa Perry when she was on? Can't remember if there was any talk about that from her or just from viewers.

[Tracey Anne Mills]

A presenter that doesn't talk down to you AND is rude to the contestants and guests

It'll be hard to find someone who doesn't talk down, yet IS rude to contestants and guests.
You almost had your dream host in Ann Robinson, but she was rarely rude to guests - just contestants.

Yes she was rude to the odd guest I heard it from the horses mouth, Rachel and Susie threatened to quit if she carried on hosting Countdown.

[Tracey Anne Mills]

A presenter that doesn't talk down to you and is rude to the contestants and guests

Has great banter with the contestants and their co-presenters they always make you feel at ease even though you are nervous at times

Has good knowledge of the show and how it works

Or in other words, Colin Murray.

Richard Whiteley and Jeff Stelling were decent hosts they always put you at ease even though at times you were nervous
Des Lynam I found him very wooden
Des O'Connor did a good job but not brilliant
Nick Hewer did a really good job he always put you at ease
Anne Robinson I found her abrupt and rude to contestants even the occasional guest and to Rachel and Susie who threatened to quit if she carried on
Colin Murray the best out of them all he is somebody that enjoys the game and the banter. He engages well with guests and the contestants, Rachel and Susie too.

[Gavin Chipper]

Colin I think often blunders when it comes to speaking to contestants who are behind. Often comes across as a bit patronising and I think generally isn't good at getting it right when discussing the scores / competition.

[Andres Sanchez]

I do wanna know what you think might be the best way to talk to people who are behind, been hosting tournaments and I need to get out of that "big fanatic that likes talking about skill" facade.

[Philip A]

Agree with the above tbh.

I like Colin (thing to remember, he was unequivocally hyperactive as a child – think he could have ADHD – he used to be a grave digger) who I reckon will still be host for 20 years, and he’s better than the majority of hosts, permanent and guest, in all of Countdown history and has settled down nicely but there’s still some areas where he needs improving really:

He means well but doesn’t spend enough time talking to the contestants. Sometimes he’ll only speak to them for 5 seconds in the preambles, and sometimes when a challenger loses the match he again sometimes just speaks to them for 5 seconds.

And no mention of goodie bag makes it look like then win absolutely nothing. Not very endearing IMO. Nick Hewer (who was picky at first but grew in to the role) did it more politely; take this goodie bag and our very best wishes.

Colin sometimes praises the answers prematurely before they are verified. Contestant goes for a 7 and he says, “Well done,” but then Susie disallows the word. Well that’s not well done if the contestant consequently falls to a further 14 points down or whatever.

That’s like saying, ‘Well done, that’s the right answer… oh you just lost £15,000 by the way.’ (Remember the ‘ibex-gate’ on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?)

Stephen Fry was like that on UK Jeopardy! too. “Harry, you’re on £200… that’s great.” Well that’s not really great when the others are on £600 and £1,000.

Love Colin’s obvious interest in the gameplay, the scoreline, his empathy in being in that hot-seat under the spotlight, and his knowledge of how important a 6 small gamble can be when between 10 and 20 points down; his attire is better than his jumpers and I loved the Hallowe’en makeover. Can we please see him dress up as a Leprechaun on St Patrick’s day and as Santa in the winter Grand Final?

But I did find Nick Hewer kind, unbiased and inoffensive, even if he was sedate and repetitive. Every challenger he spoke to was done so in a supportive way; “Don’t you worry about Philip Aston,” “You were on here [the show] in ‘97.”

Anne Robinson was just wholly unsuitable and only interested in the pay cheque. She was nice to some of the players but horrible to the lesser players. One of the contestants scored 0 and said on Twitter that she wasn’t nice to her. Lots of people complained.

On a separate note, Amol Rajan has exceeded my expectations as University Challenge presenter. You get used to his fast talking after a while, and he is just so down-to-earth with all the teams even when they’re losing by over 200 points. Colin could learn from him.

[Gavin Chipper]

I do wanna know what you think might be the best way to talk to people who are behind, been hosting tournaments and I need to get out of that "big fanatic that likes talking about skill" facade.

It's difficult to provide a list of instructions but it's just about getting the balance right.

A couple of other things Colin does - if the contestants both get 7s, he might say "Yeah, loads of 7s. Easy to get a 7", which I think denigrates their achievement. They might have got it on 29 seconds and only seen one.

Also the other day when a player was up for being octochamp he said he wanted him to get a century, but with the scores as they were, it meant getting the conundrum, so rooting against the challenger.

[Andres Sanchez]

I do wanna know what you think might be the best way to talk to people who are behind, been hosting tournaments and I need to get out of that "big fanatic that likes talking about skill" facade.

It's difficult to provide a list of instructions but it's just about getting the balance right.

A couple of other things Colin does - if the contestants both get 7s, he might say "Yeah, loads of 7s. Easy to get a 7", which I think denigrates their achievement. They might have got it on 29 seconds and only seen one.

Also the other day when a player was up for being octochamp he said he wanted him to get a century, but with the scores as they were, it meant getting the conundrum, so rooting against the challenger.

I always try to find some interest in their work, two good examples from the current tournament I'm hosting with friends are:

• When someone found the word "DATACOW" which I had to disallow, but I definitely lauded them for finding a word like that and teaching me about something.
• Sometimes when someone isn't doing as well and they get to a numbers where they were one off but their opponent is spot on, I felt like it's fair going to the other person to hear their solution for posterity's sake. Yeah they wouldn't do that on the actual show but I feel like it shows that the people playing also do good work even if it's not perfect.