Colin Murray has started filming new episodes of Countdown after the departure of host Anne Robinson and will remain in the chair until the autumn. He could then be named permanent hostr of the Channel 4 quiz.
Colin Murray is a Northern Irish radio and television presenter. In 2010, he became host of BBC Television's Match of the Day 2 on BBC Two, while still anchoring shows on BBC Radio 5 Live, including 5 Live Sport and Fighting Talk and was still presenting on BBC Radio Ulster.
He has previously hosted regular Channel 5 television and BBC Radio 1 shows. In 2007, he was named 'Music Broadcaster of the Year' at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.
Born and raised in Dundonald, east of Belfast, Murray first trained and worked as a news journalist. With a passion for both music and sport, he later moved into music journalism and publishing, before making his national radio debut in 1999 on Radio 1 in a short spell co-hosting The Session music show.
This was followed by a television debut in 2002 as one of six co-presenters on Channel 4's short-lived morning show RI:SE. From 2003 onwards Murray established himself as a music radio presenter on the weekday daytime Colin and Edith show, alongside Edith Bowman.
In 2006 Murray began his first role on BBC Radio 5 Live, hosting the sports-themed Saturday morning comedy panel game Fighting Talk, and also began presenting Channel 5's live UEFA Cup football coverage on midweek evenings. In 2006, he moved shows on Radio 1, departing Colin and Edith to front the late-night weekday evening music vehicle, The Colin Murray Show.
In 2008, he also began presenting The Late Show with Colin Murray, a once-a-week late-night music show for Radio Ulster. The next year, he left Radio 1 to take on additional roles at 5 Live, hosting Kicking off with Colin Murray on Friday nights, and 5 Live Sport on Sunday afternoons. In 2010, he moved from presenting live football on Channel 5 to fronting the BBC's Match of the Day 2 Sunday night highlights show.
In 2013, he announced he was leaving BBC Radio 5 Live to move to commercial rival Talksport, taking up the 10 am – 1 pm slot vacated by Richard Keys and Andy Gray. Murray announced via Twitter in July 2016 that he was to leave Talksport in September 2016, following the takeover of the station by News Corp.
He stated that the concomitant business links between Talksport and The Sun meant that, after the scandal of the Hillsborough disaster and of its coverage by The Sun, his position would be untenable owing to the feelings of Liverpool fans (including himself) towards that newspaper.
Since August 2017, Murray has hosted the Saturday night EFL television highlights show, first for Channel 5 in the 2017/18 season and since August 2018 for Quest on EFL on Quest.
Murray has continued his journalism work into his presenting career by writing a monthly 'radio diary' piece for The Guardian newspaper. In 2005, he created a radio documentary, The Trouble With Drugs. In October 2009 he published his first book, A Random History of Football, a compendium of random and relatively unknown stories about football.
Murray has also compèred at the Leeds Festival since 2004. Outside the UK, Murray has been a weekly fixture on The Fan 590's breakfast programme in Toronto, Canada.
In 2020, it was announced that Murray would replace Nick Hewer as host of Countdown as the second coronavirus lockdown precluded Hewer, 76, from being able to travel to the set.
Murray has been a fan of Liverpool and the Northern Ireland national team since childhood. He got five stars tattooed on his arm when Liverpool won the European Cup for the fifth time.
He has also stated he is a Chester F.C. fan after falling in love with the club following their rise from closure and fronted by the fans. He was guest of honour at their end-of-season awards.
Whilst living in Toronto, Canada, Murray became a supporter of the baseball team Toronto Blue Jays and a fan of Major League Baseball in general, and has since spent his annual summer holidays in North America watching MLB games. Murray is also a season ticket-holder at the Welsh club Pontypridd Town.
Murray stated on his R5 show on 21 December 2020, following a reference to paganism, that he was an atheist.
Murray is married to Carly Paradis.
