Countdown

lil eva · Countdown

Countdown presenter Carol Vorderman will be a "true professional" when she returns to filming despite the bitter row which prompted her to quit, her manager has said.

Vorderman announced on Friday that she was leaving the show and yesterday claimed it was because she was told to take or leave a 90% pay cut.

Her manager John Miles said: "Carol knew she was being forced out and had no option but to stand down."

Vorderman, who has worked on the Channel 4 game show for 26 years, said she had offered to accept a pay cut of one-third, in line with the show's 33% budget cut.

Her former co-presenter, Richard Whiteley, died in 2005 and Mr Miles claimed one of the show's bosses at ITV Productions told Vorderman: "Countdown easily survived without Richard, it can easily survive without you."

Vorderman's contract with the Channel 4 show runs until the end of the year and next month she will return to Leeds for filming.

She will be joined by the show's current main host Des O'Connor who said last week he also plans to leave at the end of the year.

chimp

Gutted

Won't be the same without Carol

I went to see it being filmed once and Carol hada little leather mini skirt on - amazing

Baldrick

Now what was her salary? If memory serves me correctly she had signed for five years for £5 million. So, if the story is true she'd only be paid £500,000. Now, is that per annum or for another 5 years?

Anyway, she's stinking bloody rich anyway...she's just being greedy.

popi25

Dudoo,duduu, dududooooo boooooooh

GenieDi

I don't think it matters what the amount is, no one would be happy accepting a 90% pay cut.