When Colin Murray started in broadcasting 25 years ago he had a goal in mind: become the host of Countdown.
Having become a guest in Dictionary Corner, he got a step closer to that dream when Covid stopped Nick Hewer from travelling and Colin had to fill in.
But when former Apprentice star Nick quit the words and numbers show, and Anne Robinson was drafted in as his replacement, Colin’s hopes were dashed.
Which explains why when Anne abruptly left last summer, Colin didn’t want to be the stop-gap again.
“I said, no,” he reveals. “I couldn’t bear the thought of just being a one-night stand again. It would have been professionally heartbreaking.
“I think my words were, ‘You’ve got to give me a run of three months’.”
The hardball tactic worked and he was made temporary host for several months but felt despondent by January when he hadn’t landed the job full-time.
“I was so down when we recorded the first episodes of series 87,” he says.
“I thought, if they haven’t given it to me now, they’re not going to.”
But everything changed when C4’s head of daytime Jo Street rang him.
“And that was it. I’ve got a two-year contract and in December we got the highest ratings in 10 years,” Colin says.
The show attracted explosive headlines during Anne’s stint as it was reported she didn’t get on with the team, particularly maths whiz Rachel Riley, 37.
Colin, 46, diplomatically says he’s never met the former Weakest Link host. But admits: “The atmosphere has changed and that’s huge.”
If morale on the show was low when he took over, it’s now fully recovered.
With his boundless enthusiasm, he has even introduced a daily competition for the crew in which everyone guesses the time filming will end. He provides the prize.
The day I visit the set, in Salford, Gtr Manchester, it’s the board game Articulate. A lifelong fan of Countdown, he used to run home from school to watch and is probably a world authority on how to tactically play the games.
With typical modesty, Colin says fans know he’s there, alongside Rachel and Susie Dent, 58, because he really wants to be: “I’m not the best presenter, the cleverest or funniest presenter, but I’m me. And me suits Countdown because Countdown is me.”
Colin has plenty of plans to boost the show’s popularity. “We should have a podcast once a month with me, Rachel, Susie and the contestants.
“And where is the board game? We should have one, like Richard Whitely and Carol Vorderman did.”
He’d also like to move the show’s 2.10pm start back to a teatime slot. Colin says its place to be friendly so viewers feel good while they watch.
Contestants get no instructions on how to behave and all are welcomed.
“Our champion last season, Tom Stevenson, had problems with leaving the house,” Colin says.
“He broke records and never lost a round, and afterwards he said he never felt nervous the whole time he was on.”
Mental health is important to Colin because he’s had his own struggles.
“I’m quite up and down,” he admits. “There are days where I don’t want to get out of bed and days when I’m flying.”
As he starts each episode, Colin pulls on a different jumper and has a vape under the studio desk. “It’s my last vice,” he laughs, explaining he quit smoking five years ago and barely drinks.
He is grateful to Susie for inviting him on to Dictionary Corner. “When I met him in his Radio 1 days, the first thing he said to me was, ‘I want to present Countdown’,” she recalls.
He says their friendship has always been solid – “she’s like family” – and now he’s bonding with Rachel.
“She’s very strong. She’s absolutely the captain of the ship,” Colin adds.
He does worry he’ll annoy the girls with his constant natter.
But Rachel adds: “We love you, viewers love you, contestants love you.”
Despite that huge vote of confidence, he claims he doesn’t have the “pizazz” of predecessors like Des Lynam or Jeff Stelling. But the audience don’t care.
February was Countdown’s biggest month since 2007 and the show’s share of the audience is up by 39% overall and by 96% for the 16 to 34 audience.
Plenty of people know who Colin is. That bloke off Radio 1, Radio 5Live’s Fighting Talk and Match of the Day 2.
Having grown up in East Belfast during the Troubles, Colin left school and home at 16 and became a trainee journalist at the News Letter.
He supported himself by working in McDonalds and DJing, which led to his first job at Radio 1 in 1999, where he teamed up with Edith Bowman. After his move to London came Fighting Talk, which he’s just quit after 17 years.
He has interviewed music stars such as Noel Gallagher and hosts the EFL football show on the Quest channel.
A staunch Liverpool fan, his TalkSport stint ended when the Sun’s owner Rupert Murdoch bought the station in 2016. Now he hosts a weeknight talk show on 5Live from 10.30pm to 1am.
As a kid he struggled due to his lack of concentration and was kicked out of two schools. Colin has trouble sleeping and thinks he may have ADHD.
During his career he has only given a few interviews as he has no desire for star status and likes to maintain his private life. He has never spoken about his marriage to Carly Paradis, composer of Line of Duty’s theme tune, with whom he reportedly split from last year.
When asked what he would still like to achieve, Colin says: “I’ve got my favourite TV show I’ve ever done and my favourite radio show I’ve ever done, all at the same time.”
Already, he’s worked out how long he’d like to stay on Countdown. “Ideally, I’d do seven to 10 years,” he explains.
“You can’t stay for ever because you’ll ruin the show you love.” Countdown
fan Colin could never do that.
* Countdown, Channel 4, weekdays, 2.10pm.
