DES LYNAM, the former television sports anchor, is to be the new host of Countdown, the long- running Channel 4 quiz show best known for launching the career of Carol Vorderman, writes Richard Brooks.

Lynam, 63, the former linchpin of BBC sports coverage, has been chosen to succeed Richard Whiteley, who died in June after a heart operation.

With trademark moustache and wink to the camera, Lynam has built a reputation as a laid-back charmer and “housewives’ favourite”. These characteristics should help him to follow Whiteley who, with his bumbling manner and multi-coloured blazers, established Countdown’s position as a staple of daytime “comfort” television. It still regularly draws more than 1m viewers.

Lynam, who controversially moved from the BBC to ITV in 1999 to front the commercial broadcaster’s football coverage, will earn about £600,000 a year for Countdown. Even so, this is less than Vorderman, who appears as the letters and numbers expert on the show, which has been running since Channel 4 started broadcasting in 1982.

Vorderman, who is believed to earn £1m a year from Countdown, has been strongly encouraging Lynam. He had telephoned her to ask whether he should consider the show and she enthusiastically advised him to apply.

Lynam, whose memoirs, Should Have Been at Work, will be published next month, had probably thought his days of mainstream presenting were over. Although he is mainly used to front sports events, last year he showed that he could chair a smaller panel programme when he was a guest presenter of BBC1’s Have I Got News for You.

The Countdown deal will involve Lynam making about 200 of the half-hour programmes a year. Usually three or four are recorded back-to-back at the Yorkshire Television headquarters in Leeds. He will earn about £3,000 a show.

Channel 4 also considered Paul Merton, Noel Edmonds and Richard Digance, the singer and comedian, for the show.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Sarah Brown says 'no thanks' to veal at G8 - twice
• Stockton-on-Tees is obesity capital of Britain
• Stores blame poor sales on Murray factor