Entertainment
Colin Murray says he ‘never gets sick’ of Countdown clock after he lands dream job-Dave Filmer-Entertainment – Metro
‘To be in the seat is such an honour.’
Colin Murray is the new host of Countdown (Picture: Channel 4/PA Wire)
Colin Murray has always had a dream job in mind – presenting Countdown. Now that dream is a reality after good results during his spell as caretaker boss have seen the man from County Down (yes, really) land the gig full-time.
Apologies for wandering into football talk but Colin is a long-time friend of Metro as a sports columnist, so I swapped the sports desk to visit him at the Salford HQ of Channel 4’s much-loved afternoon stalwart.
I find Colin very much at home and after dumping my coat in his dressing room (it’s very showbiz – two chairs, mini-fridge) he takes me to meet maths genius Rachel Riley as she’s having her hair done and word guru Susie Dent, who’s in make-up.
These guys obviously get on – with chat, jokes and showing each other funnies on phones. There’s a bit of Liverpool (Colin) and Manchester United (Rachel) banter. Yet we’ve an incredibly busy day ahead, with five episodes to be filmed and outfit changes for each one.
Colin settles into the seat made famous by Richard Whiteley, as Susie and Rachel take their places. Jo Brand is in dictionary corner. The contestants arrive and Colin makes sure to know a bit about each one beforehand so they can chat.
Then it’s lights up, the famous music plays and away we go. Episodes are filmed back-to-back with breaks for outfit and contestant changes between shows. And in the lunch break, it’s my turn to fire the questions at the three faces of Countdown…
So, Colin, you’re officially Mr Countdown… does your dream job live up to expectations?
The Countdown set before filming starts (Picture: Metro)
CM: So far, absolutely. I’ve watched the show for 40 years, so to be in the seat is such an honour. Just before Christmas, there was one show, during the clock ticking, when it again hit me that I was presenting my favourite show. The show I watched religiously as a kid, and stayed in love with as an adult.
It seems a fun place to work, if very hectic. Do you look forward to filming?
RR: Yes. What you see is what you get from this team and it’s obvious to anyone watching that Colin is a huge geek who lives to play Countdown.
SD: Countdown really is like a huge family and many members of the production team and the crew have been there for years. I’ll never get tired of the show. It really is the best gig in the world.
CM: It’s a very good atmosphere, from the producer to the floor manager, from wardrobe to contestants. There’s a real feeling of family, on-air and off-air. That’s the first priority. The second is to increase ratings – and we’ve done that.
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I’ve seen you two go through five full outfit changes filming today while Colin just changes his jumper… is that fair?!
SD: Rachel and I tease Colin over his relaxed wardrobe options, though to be fair, anything else would not be him. He is very much a jumper man.
RR: I do quite enjoy getting to wear five different outfits over the course of the day so I won’t complain about it. Hopefully now he’s permanent he might buy a couple more jumpers, I think he only has about ten on rotation and he’s showing me up making them last.
I may have trouble getting the music out of my head after today. Do you ever get sick of the clock? Does the music haunt your dreams?
Colin and Rachel Riley behind the scenes at Countdown (Picture: @ColinMurray/Twitter)
CM: Randomly, no. I was talking about this the other day. It plays at the beginning of show, end of show, into and out of every break, and for over seven minutes during the rounds every day, yet I never get sick of it. Never have. And I have never had a tweet from a viewer saying they have. It’s a truly great theme and so underrated.
SD: Never. I remember the legendary show host Richard Whiteley having the clock music as his ring tone, which made him – and any passerby – laugh every time.
RR: You stop hearing it after a while. Although once in the early days I was driving home after a three-day filming block where we’d made 15 shows, and I heard my voice in the car spouting letters. I thought the tiredness had got to me until I realised it was Huw Stephens’s intro to his Radio One show.
More: Countdown
Have you had any memorable embarrassing moments?
SD: I’ve blundered into many a rude word without knowing its alternative meaning. Rachel always jokes that I know every word in the standard dictionary while she knows every one in the urban dictionary. I often only realise the innuendo I’ve accidentally aired about three hours after the event. Most of them are too rude to mention.
CM: I haven’t had any hugely embarrassing moments yet. However, fear? Loads! The timings are so important. Especially when there’s a crucial conundrum – if I don’t start the clock right, or get the reveal wrong, we’d have a proper scandal on our hands.
Hard question: any favourite dictionary corner guests?
Colin with dictionary corner’s Susie Dent (Picture: @ColinMurray/Twitter)
CM: That’s not hard. Ha ha! It’s such an important part of show. We have brought quite a lot of new faces in recently. I loved having Richard Osman on and even let him present part of the show.
RR: Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Chris Packham and Tim Rice are all incredible.
SD: Impossible to choose. I have the best seat in the house sitting next to so many fascinating guests.
Do you know of any unexpected fans of the show or anyone you would love in dictionary corner?
Metro newspaper Sport’s Editor David Filmer with Colin Murray (Picture: Metro)
RR: I’m a massive Manchester United fan so there would be no one better than Sir Alex Ferguson. I know he watches.
SD: Richard always reminded us that the Queen and Queen Mother enjoyed watching us. George Clooney and Bill Murray apparently also tune in.
Popular since 1982… what’s the show’s magic ingredient?
CM: What we have to sprinkle into the pot every day is a proper afternoon oasis of positivity, friendship and escapism. You can’t fake that. It has to be genuine and, luckily, with Rachel, Susie and I, it is. So if you haven’t watched in a while, drop by for a cup of tea.
Countdown is on weekdays at 2.10pm on C4
MORE : Who is Countdown host Colin Murray and is he married?
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