Coundown Today

[elliemay1]

Anyone watching? Jo Brand is currently doing my head in making up silly answers that are not real words. One or two might have been mildly amusing but not for the whole show!

[drmorgans]

She's done it every time she's been on. I suppose she's trying to keep in the spirit of it being a word-based game and not just telling stories from her autobiography (as that tedious newsreader did last week).

When will Rachel's bump go? she had the baby in mid-December.

[elliemay1]

I read that they filmed multiple episodes in a row so that Rachel could have her maternity leave. I suppose it would have been difficult to source someone else to do her job whilst she was off.

[andy-hughes]

ellie - // I suppose it would have been difficult to source someone else to do her job whilst she was off. //

Find someone that gorgeous, and that good at maths?

I'd suggest that's a near impossibility!!

[elliemay1]

Totally agree Andy!

[gingejbee]

Well, they didn't record many programmes in a row for her benefit....they've always recorded five programmes a day, even when it all started with Richard Whiteley.

[elliemay1]

//Dictionary Corner’s Susie Dent, 54, revealed the presenter won’t be replaced on the show and instead, they are filming loads of episodes every day to get ahead of themselves.//

[elliemay1]

...and here:

//Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Susie confirmed that while Rachel will be having time off from Countdown to raise her child, she will not be seen away from the programme.

Instead, the presenters have been busy filming extra episodes for the series in order to create a large stockpile of episodes which will air while Rachel is away.//

[gingejbee]

^^^doesn't alter the fact that it's always been done, with or without a pregnancy.
Perhaps Ms. Dent should have said "even more episodes every day"?

[elliemay1]

I know that they've always recorded 5 programmes a day. I don't think it's worth quibbling about

[drmorgans]

In the past they stockpiled a month or so of programmes.

A couple of weeks ago Janet Street-Porter was the guest and only appeared in four episodes, rather than the usual five. That allowed them to start with a new guest on a Monday.

[gingejbee]

I'm not quibbling, simply pointing out that your post at 15.16, using the words "so that", suggested that multiple episodes were recorded just for this purpose.

[elliemay1]

Ok, gingejbee, you can have the last word if it means that much to you

[zebo]

When she's due to return it'll be just in time to not be able to film due to the virus.
We had a macabre thought though, had anything gone wrong with the birth would they have still broadcast this vast stockpile of programmes?

[gingejbee]

elliemay...it's not a case of having the last word, it was a case of correcting/clarifying your 15.16 post....but, you obviously take exception to this.

[DTCwordfan]

As Rachel said, 'It's bumping along'.....

[DTCwordfan]

they must have a quarter's worth of programmes as the puting Rachel popped on December the 18th - or when her new sproglet was announced.

[grumpy01]

When they re commence recording they will do so without a studio audience in the light of Covid-19.On the subject of Jo Brand maybe once or twice a programme is OK but not every round and given her tasteless remark over the Nigel Farage milk shake I’m surprised they have her on anything.

[Denton]

Can’t stand Jo Brand at the best of times,how she makes a living as a comedian is beyond me.

[douglas9401]

She has the same agent as Dawn French, Denton. :-)