Carol Vorderman's Countdown exit caused by pay row
Carol Vorderman quit Countdown after told to take 90 per pay cut
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Sunday, 27, Jul 2008 11:46
Carol Vorderman quit Countdown after bosses told her to take a 90 per cent pay cut, according to her manager.
The TV presenter had co-hosted the Channel 4 show for more than a quarter of a century and has appeared throughout its run of more than 4,500 editions.
It had initially been reported that Vorderman was leaving the show after most recent co-host Des O'Connor stepped down, with the former not wanting to face the upheaval of working with a new presenter.
But her agent John Miles has today confirmed that Vorderman has left the show after being told it could "easily survive without you" if she rejected a pay offer of just ten per cent of her current salary.
The 47-year-old had accepted a pay cut of one-third, in line with a 33 per cent budget cut imposed by ITV productions, only to be told she had 48 hours in which to decide to take or leave a 90 per cent pay cut.
"I was stunned that my client's 26 loyal years were discarded in such a cavalier manner," Mr Miles said.
"Having said that, Carol has never claimed she is indispensable."
And Vorderman herself has now released a statement "so that the Countdown viewers and all the team know the truth".
"I am devastated that my joyous time with one of the best programmes on TV has ended this way," she added.
"I was happy to continue doing the numbers and letters for years to come.
"I wish all of my friends and colleagues every success in the future. I'll miss them all."
The channel said that replacements for both Vorderman and O'Connor "will be announced in due course".
Bosses have also claimed they are not concerned for the future of the programme format, despite the recent upheaval.