Rachel Riley to Step Aside for 3 weeks

[Philip A]

From 24th February to 14th March 2025, Rachel Riley will take a short break from Countdown to work on another project.

Standing in for her is Dr Tom Crawford, a mathematician at Cambridge and Oxford Universities, who completed his PhD in applied maths at Cambridge in 2016.

His YouTube channel, Tom Rocks Maths, has over 200,000 subscribers. He also wears maths tattoos.

This makes him the first ever male arithmetician on Countdown in 42 and a quarter years.

https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/coun ... 12214.html

[Gavin Chipper]

Reading that, I thought to myself that Dr Tom Crawford doesn't sound like the name of someone they'd pick to do the numbers on Countdown. But then I saw a picture of him.

[Fiona T]

apparently he takes his clothes off, so that could add a new dimension.

[Adam Gillard]

Jenni Falconer seemed quite excited about it when she mentioned it on the radio this morning.

[Marc Meakin]

I wonder if RR is doing the traitors ?

[David Williams]

Surely she's just missing (missed?) three consecutive days filming. Diary cock-up?

[Philip A]

Surely she's just missing (missed?) three consecutive days filming. Diary cock-up?

Correct, but by the magic of television she’s off screen for 3 weeks, which is also correct.

No diary cock-up. 240 shows per year so it’s right to change things up and let someone else have a go while regulars focus in other things. Good way to get new viewers in too. Riley and Crawford are in fact good friends.

[Gavin Chipper]

Surely she's just missing (missed?) three consecutive days filming. Diary cock-up?

I was thinking this. The number of filming days they have, you'd think it would be easy to fit them around other commitments. Similarly with Jon Richardson (and Sean Lock previously ) on Cats.

[Philip A]

Rachel and Tom were actually in the studio together, as seen in an Instagram picture in which Tom announced that he got the gig. We had substitutes during lockdown, due to Covid and maternity leaves so this must have all been planned. There’s so much to do. Rachel’s allowing someone else to have a go and I think she’s doing the right thing.

[Philip A]

Ah, he actually hosted a version of Countdown before – with an octochamp playing! https://youtu.be/wib428pe5BQ?si=ahlj6jmrz_tRKk1k

[Jon Stammers]

Wow, one of these days someone might actually fill in for Susie - when was the last time SHE had a day off?

They didn't even get a stand-in for Rachel's last maternity as I recall, just filmed loads extra and worked around it which seemed insane!
Maybe they have a bit more sense now??

Tom seemed incredibly nervous on his first show or two, making comments thanking people for only picking 1 large...
And he was saying either "sure thing" or "sure can" on EVERY round which began to grate a little, hopefully he's easing in more now. But yes, a refreshing change in a way.

[Philip A]

Wow, one of these days someone might actually fill in for Susie - when was the last time SHE had a day off?

They didn't even get a stand-in for Rachel's last maternity as I recall, just filmed loads extra and worked around it which seemed insane!
Maybe they have a bit more sense now??

Tom seemed incredibly nervous on his first show or two, making comments thanking people for only picking 1 large...
And he was saying either "sure thing" or "sure can" on EVERY round which began to grate a little, hopefully he's easing in more now. But yes, a refreshing change in a way.

Susie was absent for some separate weeks from 2021 to 2022; in those cases, Dictionary Corner was one person (the celebrity). 2021 was her first absence since her maternity leave midway through the Des O’Connor era, with Michael Wylie (RIP) and Alison Heard sitting in.

The extra filming sessions were during Rachel’s first maternity leave; during her second in 2021/22, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon stood in, having debuted in the 2021 Black To Front edition with Trevor McDonald.

What also happens now is when filming ends early (e.g. due to host(s) or contestants falling ill), they’ll add an extra show to the next recording block whenever possible (in that case, the next guest would have 6 shows).

So I think it’s right to let others have a go once in a while.

What I like about Tom (echoing social media reaction here) is that he pauses and waits for the contestant to answer.

[Jon Stammers]

Thanks Philip, very interesting.

[Philip A]

How nice of him to show up at Co:Oxford!

Crawford V Imafidon in an exhibition match one day?

[Gavin Chipper]

How nice of him to show up at Co:Oxford!

Crawford V Imafidon in an exhibition match one day?

Did he play?

[Graeme Cole]

How nice of him to show up at Co:Oxford!

Crawford V Imafidon in an exhibition match one day?

Did he play?

No, he put the letters and numbers on the board in the final. Also came to the pub afterwards.

[Gavin Chipper]

Sheesh, and I missed it.

[Jamie Weisenberg]

I watched today's episode and I am more convinced than ever that Rachel gets fed the solutions through an earpiece..

[Mark Deeks]

Why? Because she's good at it?