Countdown (game show) Stelling was confirmed as the new host, with Oxford graduate Rachel Riley in the Vorderman role. It was announced on 24 May 2011 that Stelling would be leaving the programme, and he presented his final show on 16 December 2011. On 16 November 2011, it was announced that Nick Hewer would be taking over as host, with his first show broadcast on 9 January 2012. "Countdown" quickly established cult status within British television – an image which it maintains today, despite numerous changes of rules and personnel. The programme's audience comprises mainly students, homemakers and pensioners, owing to the "teatime"
Countdown (game show) show and believed it could be popular overseas. Yorkshire Television purchased the format and commissioned a series of eight shows under the title "Calendar Countdown", which was to be a spin-off of their regional news programme "Calendar". As the presenter of "Calendar", Richard Whiteley was the natural choice to present "Calendar Countdown" with his daily appearances on both shows earning him the nickname "Twice Nightly". These shows were only broadcast in the Yorkshire area. An additional pilot episode was made, with a refined format, although it was never broadcast. A new British television channel, Channel 4, was due to launch