Riley first joined Countdown in 2009 as a replacement for Carol Vorderman. Rachel Riley’s Countdown replacement has been confirmed as the presenter steps away from the daytime game show for three weeks. The 39-year-old mathematician joined the Channel 4 show in 2009 as a replacement for Carol Vorderman but is now taking a break to focus on another project.
![[Colin Murray on Countdown]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/01/11/14/11115432-dca221f7-c2db-47e5-be87-e1ac33196314.jpg)
It has now been confirmed that Dr Tom Crawford will be stepping into Riley’s shoes while she is away. Crawford runs a YouTube channel called “Tom Rocks Maths” which has more than 200,000 followers. He also has a PhD in Fluid Dynamics from the University of Cambridge.
He added: “Rachel Riley - and her unparalleled arithmetic skills - are irreplaceable, but with Colin Murray and Susie Dent by my side, we’ll do our very best to keep you entertained for the next few weeks. Long live daytime television!!”. Crawford’s fans have been quick to congratulate him on landing the role. “This is incredible news! Can't wait to watch. You will be brilliant!” said one person.
Another fan joked: “That’s amazing! I’ll have one from the top and the rest you can pick.”. A third wrote: “Congratulations and all the best for having people shout 'one from the top' at you every time you pop to the shops.”. Although Riley’s departure is only expected to be brief, it’s another change that the show has gone through in recent years.
Former Match of the Day 2 host, Colin Murray took over from Anne Robinson in July 2022 on a temporary basis, and was made permanent presenter in January 2023. Robinson’s tenure on the show lasted just one year, with the ex-Weakest Link star having joined the series back in July 2021.
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