Richard Whiteley | |
|---|---|
 Whiteley in the early 2000s | |
| Born | John Richard Whiteley 28 December 1943 Bradford, England |
| Died | 26 June 2005 (aged 61) Leeds, England |
| Alma mater | Christ's College, Cambridge |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, game show host |
| Years active | 1968–2005 |
| Known for | Hosting Countdown (1982–2005; his death) |
| Spouse |
Candy Watson
(m. 1973; div. 1975) |
| Partners |
|
| Children | 1[1] |
John Richard Whiteley OBE DL (28 December 1943 – 26 June 2005) was an English presenter and journalist, best known for his twenty-three years as host of the game show Countdown. Countdown was the launch programme for Channel 4 at 4:45 pm on 2 November 1982, and Whiteley was the first person to be seen on the channel (not counting a programme montage). Whiteley enjoyed projecting the image of an absent-minded eccentric. His trademarks were his jolly, avuncular manner, his fondness for puns, and his bold, sometimes garish wardrobe.
Thanks to over twenty years' worth of daily instalments of Countdown as well as his work on the Yorkshire magazine programme Calendar and various other television projects, at the time of his death Whiteley was believed to have clocked more hours on British television screens—and more than 10,000 appearances—than anyone else alive, apart from Carole Hersee, the young girl who appeared on the BBC's Test Card F.[2]
- ^ a b c d Stokes, Paul; Iggulden, Amy (8 March 2006). "The women in and out of Whiteley's will". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "Obituary: Richard Whiteley". BBC News. 26 June 2005. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.