Countdown fans question Anne Robinson's 'strange' goodbye
Countdown fans question Anne Robinson’s ‘strange’ goodbye during her final episode as she leaves with ‘no fanfare’ after one year on the show amid rumours of backstage drama
Countdown fans were baffled on Friday as Anne Robinson made no effort to bid farewell to the show during her final episode after spending 13 months at the helm.
The television presenter, 77, announced she would be leaving the Channel 4 show earlier this year after joining in June 2021.
While many fans may have expected the star to have made reference to her final episode, her so long was as ordinary as ever, simply saying: ‘Thank you for watching, bye.’
Non event: Countdown fans were baffled on Friday as Anne Robinson, 77, made no effort to bid farewell to the show during her final episode after spending 13 months at the helm
Anne took over as host from Nick Hewer, 78, who presented from 2012 and made more of a statement as he departed the game show, saying it had been a ‘pleasure’ working with co-presenter Rachel Riley and Dictionary Corner’s Susie Dent.
One viewer wrote of Anne’s sign off: ‘Oh, apparently it was Anne Robinson’s final Countdown yesterday.
‘She was given no fanfare or heartfelt goodbye it seems, which as far as I’m concerned confirms her departure was NOT planned.
End of the road: The television presenter announced she would be leaving the Channel 4 show earlier this year after joining in June 2021
‘Now I’m imagining her and Rachel having a blazing row behind the scenes.’
Someone else wrote: ‘Anne Robinson left as presenter of #C4Countdown today with no farewells. Strange!’
‘Anne Robinson didn’t say goodbye or anything on her final countdown yesterday,’ noted another viewer.
While someone else questioned: ‘No goodbyes for Anne Robinson?? That’s a shame @susie_dent @C4Countdown.’
Farewell: While many fans may have expected the star to have made reference to her final episode, her so long was as ordinary as ever, simply saying: ‘Thank you for watching, bye’
It was revealed that Anne was leaving the show after just one year earlier in May by The Daily Mail’s Alison Boshoff, and Anne has since said she quit over a pay dispute.
It has been claimed the cast of Countdown are ‘relieved’ Anne is leaving after reports of an on-set feud with Rachel Riley – who Anne reportedly found ‘too noisy’ – and Susie Dent.
Rachel, 36, seemingly made a swipe at her former co-star as she took to Instagram on recently to share a cryptic post.
The TV presenter shared a selfie of herself sporting a strawberry-print dress and flashing a huge grin as she enjoyed a glass of wine at home.
Alongside the photograph, she made a thinly veiled swipe at Anne as she wrote that she was ‘toasting’ the ‘next chapter in Countdown’s history’.
She penned: ‘Drinking a toast to the next chapter in Countdown’s history… I think you’re going to like it!’
Criticism: Rachel Riley recently seemingly made a swipe at Anne as she took to Instagram to share a cryptic post
Rachel’s apparent jibe comes after Anne admitted that Rachel is ‘noisy’ and that she ‘wouldn’t go on holiday’ with her, but dismissed claims of a feud after she quit Countdown.
It was revealed that Anne was leaving the show earlier this week by The Daily Mail’s Alison Boshoff, and Anne has since said she quit over a pay dispute.
The presenter, who was employed on a freelance basis, admitted that despite being offered a pay rise, she did not want to join Channel 4’s payroll and so decided to walk away from her role as host.
Speaking to The Sun, she confessed: ‘I come from a long line of alcoholic, Irish bandits so to suggest I go PAYE is a bit like asking Philip Green or Richard Branson to join the company payroll.
‘I wasn’t interested in any offer on that basis. Even if it included financial parity. I will, however, miss out on the Channel 4 luncheon vouchers, which is a big regret.’
Speaking with Emma Barnett on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, she added: ‘I marched so that your generation would be really clever at negotiating your salaries and your pay, and you’re all absolutely hopeless at it. Why? It’s so easy. There’s about six steps to getting the money you want.’
Anne continued: ‘What happens is some bloke comes in with his friend, gives you the interview and says ‘we’re going to pay you this’, you say ‘thank you very much’.
‘What you have to realise, they go outside and they do high fives because you’ve accepted the first offer.’
Of the rift with her co-stars Rachel and Susie Dent, she admitted that she had been annoyed by their time-keeping and noisiness.
But she later said: ‘They’re both brilliant at what they do. I mean they really, really are. Channel 4 are incredibly lucky to have them. And there isn’t a rift.
‘It was me wanting everyone to be quiet in the studio. I like everyone turning up on time and quiet, quiet, quiet. So we did have to iron that out. But that’s it.’
Anne continued: ‘I think we all came to an agreement that we would have mics off before we went into a record, which gave me time to have a chat with the contestants – that’s all – and remind them what their hobbies are.’
Falling out: Of the rift with her co-stars Rachel and Susie Dent she admitted that she had been annoyed by their time-keeping and noisiness (Rachel and Susie pictured)
Describing Rachel, she said: ‘She is brilliant at those numbers, what else can I say.’
On the prospect of retirement, the former Weakest Link host said: ‘I haven’t got any practice at it. Maybe I’ll start doing social media.
‘You know what the Queen says, mostly to women, she says ‘what’s keeping you busy?’ And that’s because they might not have a job so they can say ‘I’m playing the piano, I’m doing my garden’. So I’m going to practice how I explain I don’t have a job.’
Anne continued: ‘It’s the first time I’ve never had a job. It’s also the first time I haven’t seen a job on the horizon. I’ve given myself a really big talking to and I’m 78 this year and I’ve really got to learn about retirement.
‘I’ve encouraged television bosses to realise that not all women at the wrong end of their 70s are in care homes playing bingo and watching conjuring tricks.’
Meanwhile, former Countdown host Nick Hewer did not hold back when recently taking a swipe at his ex-colleague Susie after she wished Anne well on Twitter.
It came amid claims that the cast are ‘relieved’ she is leaving after reports of an on-set feud with Rachel and Susie.
Gone: It was revealed that Anne was leaving the show earlier this week by The Daily Mail’s Alison Boshoff, and Anne has since said she quit over a pay dispute
But Susie appeared to dismiss any feud claims by sending a congratulatory message to ‘wish her the best’ as she moved on to pastures new.
The lexicographer, who has appeared in Countdown’s Dictionary Corner since 1992, wrote on Twitter: ‘Some Countdown news.
‘Wishing Anne all the very best in her new adventures with her grandchildren and beyond.’
However, Nick, 78, accused her of ‘sucking up’ to her former colleague and told her she would be a prime candidate for a ‘brown nosing’ award.
He responded to her tweet, writing: ‘Well that’s a sure fire certainty for Private Eye’s OBN [Order of the Brown Nose] award. Bravo Susie!’
Opening up to Alison Boshoff for the Daily Mail, Anne admitted that Rachel is noisy and that she ‘wouldn’t go on holiday’ with her – but dismissed claims of a feud.
The Weakest Link host explained: ‘I’m not saying I would go on holiday with Rachel Riley, but she is brilliant,’ she said. ‘Absolutely honestly, I do admire her – she is really, really good at what she does, as is Susie Dent.
‘Look, Rachel has just come back from having a baby and she is standing throughout and faultless, whereas I get to sit down. She is noisy, yes she and Susie both are – they are a formidable pair those two. But there isn’t a question of my going because of a rift, that’s nonsense.’
She also explained that the three women ‘barely talk’ during the show, detailing: ‘The way that it’s filmed is so tight that… we don’t have time to talk to each other.’
Representatives for Rachel Riley declined to comment at the time.
Anne told Alison that she is leaving the show as her contract was only one year long, and she ‘didn’t realise how much time it would take up’.
Explaining that she’s swapping the ‘intense’ filming schedule for some downtime at home, Anne said: ‘I am moving on because I’ve got a lot going on – grandchildren, a big garden, an apartment in New York – and I want to enjoy them. Countdown has taken up more of time than I thought it would.’
‘It is great fun but it is intense. I go up [to Media City in Salford] and we do 15 shows in three 11-hour days. I’m built to last so I don’t really mind, but it does take up quite a chunk of my time,’ she added.
A spokesperson for the Channel 4 daytime show gushed over Anne after the announcement of her leaving, saying: ‘Quick-witted Anne has been a brilliant host on this iconic show.’
Awks! It comes as former Countdown host Nick Hewer (centre) didn’t hold back when taking a swipe at his ex-colleague Susie (left) after she wished Anne well on Twitter
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