Rachel Riley

This article is about the British television presenter. For the American reality show contestant, see Rachel Reilly.
Rachel Riley
Born Rachel Annabelle Riley
(1986-01-11) 11 January 1986
Rochford, Essex, England, United Kingdom[1]
Residence Thorpe Bay, Southend-on-Sea
Nationality British
Alma mater Oriel College, Oxford
Occupation Television presenter
Employer Channel 4, Sky Sports
Spouse(s) Jamie Gilbert (m. 2012–13)

Rachel Annabelle Riley[2] (born 11 January 1986)[3] is an English television presenter and mathematician who currently co-presents the Channel 4 daytime puzzle show Countdown, its comedy spin-off 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Sky Sports' Friday Night Football. A mathematics graduate, her television debut came when she joined Countdown at age 22; with a passion for popularising maths and the sciences she has gone on to co-present The Gadget Show on Channel 5 (2013–14) and It's Not Rocket Science on ITV (2016). In 2013 she was a contestant on the BBC celebrity dance show, Strictly Come Dancing.

Early life

Born in Rochford, Essex,[4] to an accountant father Christopher [5] and his wife Celia (she also has a younger brother, Alex),[6] Riley was brought up in the Thorpe Bay area of Southend-on-Sea and was educated at the independent Thorpe Hall School, and Southend High School for Girls, a grammar school, where she obtained four As at A-Level. She then studied mathematics at Oriel College, Oxford, gaining an upper second-class honours degree.[7][8]

Early career

During a university vacation, Riley considered a career in the financial sector, and completed an internship at Deutsche Bank in the City of London. The experience put her off: although already familiar with male-dominated environments in the field of mathematics, she found the extreme behaviour of city traders wearing, and not being a "morning person" she also disliked the early morning train commute.[9]

Her maths degree helped her get a job performing statistical analysis for a price comparison start-up company.[10] Riley also briefly considered doing a postgraduate degree, a master's degree in concrete, being attracted by the intersection of maths, tensile strength and civil engineering.[9]

Television

Riley's television debut came in January 2009, when at the age of 22 she joined the Channel 4 letters and numbers game show Countdown.[11][12] Prior to this, Riley had received no training for working in television and had no other experience with the media industry, leading to descriptions of her landing this role as a baptism of fire, given its status as a "jewel in the broadcasting crown", according to one media commentator. While occupying the niche role, she long believed she was not a television presenter, but she came to realise that the industry has changed, so that "I don't think there's such a thing as a TV presenter any more. There are just people who go on TV".[13] As her popularity grew due to daily appearances on Countdown, she branched out into other roles, co-presenting 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and The Gadget Show, although her profile was significantly boosted by her appearance as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, which largely "catapulted [Riley] onto the A-list" and opened up the doors for new television roles, according to another commentator.[9] In 2014, two years before her role on It's Not Rocket Science, she said, "I'd love to present a popular science programme because it's something I feel very passionate about."[9]

Countdown

On Countdown, Riley replaced the long-serving Carol Vorderman. Like Vorderman, Riley's specific role was to handle the placement of letters and numbers in the anagram puzzle and arithmetical problem rounds, in addition to solving the arithmetic problem if the contestants have been unable to do so.[11][12]

Riley's appointment to Countdown was announced at the same time as the announcement of a new main host, Jeff Stelling, replacing Des O'Connor; the duo of Stelling and Riley were in place for the new series beginning in January 2009.[11] Although she had no ambition to be a television presenter, she was encouraged to apply by her mother, and decided to do so because she was interested in the numbers part of the game.[14] Having beaten 1,000 applicants for the role, she commented "There's only one cool maths job around and I was lucky enough to get it so I'm absolutely thrilled".[11]

Riley takes the role of solving the numbers round so seriously that if she cannot solve it on the show, she takes it away with her to finish, commenting "I'm really OCD about it. I have to get it. I like puzzles – that's what I do, that's why I applied for the job, that's why I used to watch Countdown when I was younger. I like solving stuff." She has attributed this compulsion to a nervy and flustered start in the role which resulted in her making some errors, although she says she has since got the hang of it and the task is now a matter of routine. In contrast, on account of her "really immature sense of humour" she has some difficulty in maintaining her composure during the words round whenever rude words appear.[14]

Riley frequently encounters close media and public scrutiny of what she wears on the show, with her wardrobe choices attracting intense social media comment on Twitter and YouTube and even national headlines, particularly if they are deemed too revealing or tight.[14][15] Working with a wardrobe consultant, she sources most of the clothes from High Street stores, although some are purchased from a small boutique near her home in Southend. While trying to please everybody with varied choices, she nonetheless takes a reticent approach to the attention, commenting, "even with the same outfit you'll get polar-opposite views, so you can't win. You’ve just got to learn that you can't please everyone all of the time". The number of episodes means wearing some outfits more than once is inevitable – she donates items she no longer requires to charity, some being auctioned by her mother.[14]

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

Since it was first broadcast on 2 January 2012, Riley has also performed her Countdown role on the comedy crossover spin-off version, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, alongside comedian Jimmy Carr as host. While Countdown is seen as a straight light entertainment show, in explaining the difference between the two, Riley sees Countdown as the role she is happy for her grandmother to see, while Cats Does Countdown is the more risqué, cheeky, role which she shows to her friends.[13] Some of the running gags used on the show are made by Carr at Riley's expense, aimed at her supposed lack of dancing ability and a supposed frosty relationship with Vorderman, while in return Riley is often given jokes which mock Carr's supposed desires on herself. Due to scheduling conflicts with filming for It's Not Rocket Science, Riley was replaced for two episodes in series nine (broadcast 3 and 10 March 2016).

Strictly Come Dancing

From September 2013, Riley appeared in the eleventh series of the BBC One ballroom dancing programme Strictly Come Dancing with professional dancing partner Pasha Kovalev. She was eliminated in Week 6 of the show, on 3 November, after losing out in the dance-off against Abbey Clancy and Aljaž Škorjanec.

According to Riley she lacked a natural talent for performing, so instead sought to frame each dance as that of a character.[9] For the first five weeks, Riley suffered from stage fright, commenting that "As soon as the music would start, I would have a fuzzy brain and it was like an out-of-body experience"; after seeing a cognitive behavioural therapist she was able to control her breathing, and so was only able to truly enjoy the show for what proved to be her final appearance.[16]

The Gadget Show

From 2013 until 2014, Riley co-presented on the Channel 5 programme The Gadget Show with Jason Bradbury.[17] She presented three series of the show and was later replaced by Amy Williams.[18]

It's Not Rocket Science

In 2016, Riley was part of the three-person presenting team for ITV's six-part series, It's Not Rocket Science, billed by the network as an entertainment series celebrating science.[19] Her co-presenters, Ben Miller and Romesh Ranganathan, similarly had a background in science and maths. Explaining the purpose of the show as popularising science and making it seem less intimidating, she said "It's showing that you can't separate the world of science from the world we live in". She added that while her background is in maths, "You can't separate them either. Maths is the language of science."[13] A key part of the show was a weekly challenge where one of the presenters "risked their lives" to prove a scientific theory – in Riley's case she cycled on a tightrope and zip-lined through a ring of fire.[13]

Sky Sports

In August 2016, it was announced that Riley would join Sky Sports to present Friday Night Football alongside her former Countdown co-presenter Jeff Stelling and Fantasy Football Club with Max Rushden and Paul Merson.[20]

Other work

On 26 June 2009, it was reported that Riley had been recruited by Royal Mail to employ her mathematical skills to help advise holidaymakers on how to make the most of their holiday currency, after a report by the Post Office revealed that a significant number of holidaymakers fail to calculate the actual cost of goods and services when travelling abroad and often overspend their holiday budgets.[21]

Her mathematics background and love of football has seen Riley assist bookmakers in preparing betting odds for football tournaments; based on her analysis she predicted Chile would win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, despite appreciating fans would see it as an unlikely outcome (Chile were ultimately knocked out in the Round of 16).[9]

Personal life

She was previously married for 15 months to Jamie Gilbert, whom she met while they were both studying at the University of Oxford. After four and a half years together, the couple split at the end of 2009,[22] before reconciling. Gilbert then proposed on her 25th birthday on 11 January 2011.[23] They married on 11 August 2012,[24] but it was announced in November 2013 that they were separating.[25][26][27] Responding to suggestions she had been the latest victim of the so-called Strictly curse, where the relationships of contestants on the show break down soon after it, she stated "I don’t think there’s a Strictly curse, but it does serve as a magnifying glass that shows up pre-existing fault lines. Jamie and I had been with one another since I was 19, and we are still good friends, it was all amicable and he’s been brilliant.”[9]

In response to speculation that she 'ran off' with her dance partner, Riley has said that her marriage was breaking down before Strictly, and that the relationship with Kovalev didn't start during the show, only emerging once their professional relationship ended, by which time she felt the marriage was over. She attributes the time spent apart during Strictly and other filming commitments around that time as what allowed her to realise her marriage was likely going to end. While insisting it was not a mistake getting married and she felt happy, on reflection she feels her life up to the point of Strictly was being constrained by convention and expectation, something she sees as a problem, particularly for high achieving girls.[13] Her time on the show changed her view on the direction of her life, noting in particular that she was a perfectionist and highly self-critical.[13][16] After the show, she has said she now feels more relaxed and confident, lives more in the moment, having no particular long term plans such as marriage or children with Kovalev.[13]

Riley describes herself as a "non-religious Jew" and "pretty atheist", having been married in a civil ceremony.[28] She has from time to time assisted in the pronunciation and spelling of Yiddish words on Countdown.[29] She is learning Russian, the first language of her boyfriend Kovalev, largely so she can better communicate with his family, who live in Siberia, and his friends.[13]

In May 2014, Riley revealed that she had been a victim of an eight-month campaign of threatening abuse from a stalker. The accused, a 31-year-old man with paranoid schizophrenia, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and placed under a restraining order preventing him from contacting Riley.[30]

Riley is a keen supporter of Manchester United football club, like her father (who was originally from Salford, Lancashire),[31][32] In October 2010, Riley presented a programme on the club's television channel, MUTV, featuring a tour of their Trafford Training Centre in Carrington. She has also hosted episodes of An Audience with... on the channel. To mark her 1,000th episode of Countdown (aired on 25 June 2013), United player Ryan Giggs presented her with a signed team shirt, Giggs himself having celebrated his 1,000th game for the club the same year.[32][33] In her appearance as a contestant on the BBC quiz show Celebrity Mastermind, broadcast on 4 January 2012, her specialist subject was the history of the club; she eventually finished in joint second place.[15][34]

Educational advocacy

In an effort to put her public profile to work for the common good, Riley strives to be an advocate for the so-called "geeky" subjects of mathematics and science, and has visited schools to enthuse pupils on the "joys of applied maths, quantum mechanics and time travel and so on".[9][16] A blog, written by an academic and hosted by The Guardian, which argued that Riley's looks and figure would work against any aim to increase female participation in the sciences, was described by The Daily Telegraph as unfair and a case of Riley being damned if she did and damned if she didn't.[9]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Channel Role Notes
2009— Countdown Channel 4 Co-presenter With Nick Hewer
2012— 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Co-presenter With Jimmy Carr
2013–2014 The Gadget Show Channel 5 Co-presenter With Jason Bradbury
2013 Strictly Come Dancing BBC One Participant 5th celebrity to be eliminated
2016 It's Not Rocket Science ITV Co-presenter With Ben Miller and Romesh Ranganathan
2016— Friday Night Football Sky Sports Co-presenter With Jeff Stelling
Fantasy Football Club Co-presenter With Max Rushden and Paul Merson
Guest appearances


She has also made brief appearances in such shows as The IT Crowd, Dispatches, Britain's Brightest and 1001 Things You Should Know.

References

  1. ↑ Worsdale, Jim (27 July 2011). "I really love Countdown... trust me, it is not being axed". Echo. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "Names Database". Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  3. ↑ The 11 January 2011 edition of the show mentioned that that day was her 25th birthday.
  4. ↑ Campaign can count on Rachel Riley's support Evening Echo, 5 August 2009, accessdate=31 December 2013
  5. ↑ Countdown queen Rachel's wedding conundrum Daily Mail, 21 March 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  6. ↑ Rachel Riley grapples with crocs Tick and Tock Southend Standard, 30 January 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  7. ↑ "I really love Countdown... trust me, it is not being axed". Southend Echo. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  8. ↑ "New hosts Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley Debut on Countdown". The Tart. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Rachel Riley: 'Strictly magnified the fault lines in my marriage' Daily Telegraph, 18 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  10. ↑ Telegraph numeracy campaign: Remove the stigma around maths Daily Telegraph, 4 February 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Sky host Stelling joins Countdown". BBC News. BBC. 21 November 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Essex girl (and fresh Oxford graduate), 22, replaced Carol Vorderman on Countdown". Mail Online. 22 November 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "How Pasha waltzed off with my heart: Countdown's Rachel Riley". Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Hardy, Rebecca (29 August 2009). "I didn't count on this abuse: Rachel Riley on why being Carol Vorderman's replacement adds up to a whole lot of grief". Mail Online. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  15. 1 2 "Strictly Come Dancing 2013: Rachel Riley". Retrieved 2016-07-25.
  16. 1 2 3 "Rachel Riley returns to the dancefloor". Retrieved 2016-07-25.
  17. ↑ "The Gadget Show | Meet The Gadget Show's new presenter: Rachel Riley! by The Gadget Show". Gadgetshow.channel5.com. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  18. ↑ The Gadget Show’s new presenter is an Olympic champion!
  19. ↑ "It's Not Rocket Science Episode 1". Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  20. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a803870/countdown-rachel-riley-joins-sky-sports/
  21. ↑ Lander, Sebastian (26 June 2009). "Rachel Riley's currency countdown as Britons lose £288m a year over poor maths". Mail Online. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
  22. ↑ Todd, Ben (1 January 2010). "Countdown's Rachel Riley is single after splitting with boyfriend of four years". Mail Online. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  23. ↑ "Rachel Riley begins the Countdown to her big day after getting engaged to millionaire boyfriend". Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  24. ↑ Emily Sheridan (20 August 2012). "Countdown star Rachel Riley weds her university sweetheart". Mail Online. Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  25. ↑ Carter, Claire (29 November 2013). "Rachel Riley in split from husband". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  26. ↑ "'Countdown' And 'Strictly' Star Rachel Riley 'Splits From Husband Jamie Gilbert After 16 Months Of Marriage'". Huffington Post. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  27. ↑ Davison, Rebecca (29 November 2013). "Countdown brainbox Rachel Riley splits from husband Jamie Gilbert after 15 months of marriage". Daily Mail. Daily Mail and General Trust. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  28. ↑ Kay, Richard (21 March 2012). "RICHARD KAY: Countdown queen Rachel's wedding conundrum". Mail Online. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  29. ↑ "Countdown's yiddishe gal". May 10, 2012.
  30. ↑ "Countdown star Rachel Riley feared for life during stalker's 8-month campaign of vile abuse". Daily Mirror. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  31. ↑ Me a sex symbol? It just doesn’t add up, says Rachel Riley Southend Echo, 22 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  32. 1 2 Media Monkey (24 June 2013). "Countdown: Rachel Riley red-faced over Ryan Giggs". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  33. ↑ Ryan Giggs to appear on Rachel Riley's 1,000th 'Countdown' episode – TV News – Digital Spy
  34. ↑ "Episode 7, 2011/2012, Celebrity Mastermind – BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
  35. ↑ Celebrity Fifteen to One SERIES 1 – EPISODE 4 Radio Times
  36. ↑ "Celebrity Squares". Retrieved 6 October 2014.

External links

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Preceded by
Carol Vorderman		 Co-host of Countdown
2009– 		Succeeded by
incumbent
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