Nick Hewer has announced that he will be stepping down as host of Countdown when his contract expires at the end of the year.
The 77-year-old has hosted Channel 4's longest-running series since 2012, with his eight-year stint in the role the second longest tenure after original host Richard Whiteley's 23 years in the chair.
During England's second coronavirus lockdown in November, Hewer temporarily handed over the reins to Colin Murray but has now decided to make his exit a permanent one.
"Delighted to be back in the Countdown studio after another enforced lockdown, BUT this latest lockdown has given me an opportunity to consider my future life," he wrote on Twitter.
"I've decided it's a good time to step down at the end of my contract in the New Year.
"As someone in his 77th year, who will be in his 10th year hosting the great British institution that is Countdown, I think it's time to smell the flowers and get a dog.
"But let me now take the opportunity to say that it's been a privilege and a pleasure to take the helm of Countdown, first broadcast back in 1982 and still a Guinness record holder.
"Although I'll be on your screens well into 2021, let me thank the broadcasters Channel 4, the truly dedicated and unwaveringly professional studio crew and production staff at ITV Studios who make the programmes, all 250 or so a year."
Channel 4 is expected to name Hewer's permanent replacement in the coming weeks.
Neil Wilkes
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