Bloody hell.

Countdown Presenter Richard Whiteley Dies

Countdown was not my bag. I used to watch it very occasionally if I had nothing better to do and I was in the mood. Richard Whiteley was never cool. With his 'funny' ties and suits and his perma-smile, he was the kind of bloke you'd pass in the street if he weren't that bloke on the telly.

But on the telly, he became the most affable man in Britain. The perma-smile wasn't a fake. When he talked to those people on the show, these amazingly clever ordinary people, he either actually really cared about what they had to say or was very very good at pretending to care.

In 23 years of Countdown, he didn't miss a single recording until he fell ill. He worked so hard that the show still hasn't run out of his episodes, and he fell ill some weeks ago.

In a media where everyone cares too damn much about themselves, how they look and what other people think of them, Richard Whiteley said "this is who I am, I know I'm funny-looking and I dress weird, but I like it." So did the rest of us. He didn't take himself too seriously and the country loved him for it.

And you know, anyone who can put up with Carol Vorderman everyday for 23 years has got to be a saint and a legend. The grandmother's favourite, hero to bored/hungover students everywhere.

The most affable man in Britain has just died, and I think we're going to be surprised at how sad everyone feels.

Bloody hell.

Countdown Presenter Richard Whiteley Dies

Countdown was not my bag. I used to watch it very occasionally if I had nothing better to do and I was in the mood. Richard Whiteley was never cool. With his 'funny' ties and suits and his perma-smile, he was the kind of bloke you'd pass in the street if he weren't that bloke on the telly.

But on the telly, he became the most affable man in Britain. The perma-smile wasn't a fake. When he talked to those people on the show, these amazingly clever ordinary people, he either actually really cared about what they had to say or was very very good at pretending to care.

In 23 years of Countdown, he didn't miss a single recording until he fell ill. He worked so hard that the show still hasn't run out of his episodes, and he fell ill some weeks ago.

In a media where everyone cares too damn much about themselves, how they look and what other people think of them, Richard Whiteley said "this is who I am, I know I'm funny-looking and I dress weird, but I like it." So did the rest of us. He didn't take himself too seriously and the country loved him for it.

And you know, anyone who can put up with Carol Vorderman everyday for 23 years has got to be a saint and a legend. The grandmother's favourite, hero to bored/hungover students everywhere.

The most affable man in Britain has just died, and I think we're going to be surprised at how sad everyone feels.