My biggest conundrum was how to land the Countdown job full time

Host's hardball tactics with C4

- NICOLA METHVEN

WHEN Colin Murray started in broadcasting 25 years ago he had a goal in mind: to be the host of Countdown. Having become a guest in Dictionary Corner, he got a step closer to that dream when Covid stopped Nick Hewer from travelling and Colin had to fill in.

But when former Apprentice star Nick quit the words and numbers show, and Anne Robinson was drafted in as his replacement, Colin's hopes were dashed.

Which explains why when Anne abruptly left last summer, Colin didn't want to be the stop-gap again.

"I said, no," he revealed. "I couldn't bear the thought of just being a one-night stand again. It would have been professionally heartbreaking.

"I think my words were, 'You've got to give me a run of three months"." The hardball tactic worked and he was made temporary host for several months but felt despondent by January when he hadn't landed the job full-time.

"I was so down when we recorded the first episodes of series 87," he said.

"I thought, if they haven't given it to me now, they're not going to." But everything changed when C4's head of daytime Jo Street rang him.

"And that was it. I've got a two-year contract and in December we got the highest ratings in 10 years," Colin said.

The show attracted explosive headlines during Anne's stint as it was reported she didn't get on with the team, particularly maths whiz Rachel Riley, 37.

Colin, 46, diplomatically says he's never met the former Weakest Link host.

But added: "The atmosphere has changed and that's huge." If morale on the show was low when he took over, it's now fully recovered.

With his boundless enthusiasm, he has even introduced a daily competition for the crew in which everyone guesses the time filming will end. He provides the prize.