Vanessa Feltz has thrown her hat in the ring to present Countdown following Anne Robinson's departure.
The veteran broadcaster, who read English literature at Cambridge, said she would “love” to take over the Channel 4 quiz show.
She told The Sunday Mirror: “I don’t know why she has ended it, but I would love to do it. So if they ask, I’m in.
“Tell them I’m cheaper than Anne Robinson. I shall be polite, shall be charming and I am already friendly with Rachel [Riley] as we did Strictly together.
“As far as I’m concerned she can be as loud and as vibrant as she likes. She can play rap music on the set as loud as she likes. I would not be nasty and snide.”
Although she admits she is not great with numbers, Vanessa certainly has the presenting credentials to host the show.
And no doubt she would love to get one up on Anne, who she has had a long-running feud with since 2006.
The broadcasting legends got off to a bad start when Vanessa appeared on a celebrity version of The Weakest Link back in 2006.
She was shocked when Anne commented on her relationship with British-Nigerian singer Ben Ofoedu, who she has been with for 16 years.
The TV star claims Anne said: “Vanessa Feltz, looking the way you do, how do you think you land all these big black boyfriends?”
Vanessa hit back at the ‘racist’ remark, but the clip was never aired.
Years on from the incident, Vanessa branded Anne a “nasty piece of work”.
In an interview with The Daily Express, the 60-year-old said: “We thought she’d be friendly behind the scenes and snap into gorgon mode as the cameras rolled.
“We were wrong. Either the host was method acting or she’s a thoroughly nasty piece of work. You decide.”
Anne announced she was stepping down as Countdown host earlier this month after just one year in the hot seat.
The 77-year-old joined the show in 2021, becoming its first ever female presenter.
There have been numerous reports of Anne clashing with co-star Rachel Riley, but this has been widely denied.
In a statement Anne said she was quitting to spend more time with her grandkids and at her house in New York.
She added: “I’ve had a blast hosting this wonderful show. And I stayed longer than I signed up for. Now it’s time for an older woman to take the reins.”
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