For a daft little letters ‘n’ numbers game, Countdown doesn’t half attract the attentions of the press. First, Des O’Connor leaves. Then, in a move that has seemingly rocked every press room in the world, Carol Vorderman announced she was jumping ship. Although the news is pretty surprising, it’s hardly staggering. However, from this news came my favourite quote of the week. Late Countdown host Richard Whiteley’s former partner, Kathryn Apanowicz, has ranted about poor ol’ Carol. That’s by-the-by. What she did say, which actually made me laugh-out-loud, was: “Carol is an integral part of the show and it should not go on without her. They will probably get Myleene Klass, she does everything else.”

We’ve asked if this is the end for Countdown. It’s a fair assumption. It does seem that there’s a bit of ship jumping going on. Let’s be honest here – it’s a tough gig. That said, for my money, the show hasn’t really been the same since ol’ Whitley tittered off his mortals. However, through the Two Des’ years, people have stuck with the show and ratings have been pretty darn good for a show that’s not prime-time. In the tea-time slot, it’s become something of a national institution. The old folks watch it to keep their minds active, students watch it with a certain amount of irony and the rest of us dip in-and-out when we feel like, feeling smug when we get something over 6 letters long.

So, even though the producers of the show apparently said “The show survived Richard Whitely… and it can survive you” to Vorderman (which is both very believable AND highly unlikely), you have to wonder if the show can come through this. Part of the show’s appeal is it’s complete inability… or refusal… to change. It’s success has been down to it’s simplicity. People do anagrams and maths. End. There’s nothing to it really. I guess that’s why it’s so loved.

If the greatness of the show lies in it’s format, then surely it could survive without Carol Vorderman? I mean, I know people have grown to love her, but surely there’s other maths-whizz types who could fill her shoes? ‘Kay, it might take some getting used to… but we’d do it right? People missed Barry Norman, but came ’round to the idea of watching Film… with Wossy. People thought Match of the Day would suffer without Des Lynam and Jimmy Hill, but in all honesty, it’s superior with Lineker and Co.

That all said and done, I’m not sure that people would be too keen to watch the show without Vorderman. She’s the last link to that very first show at the birth of Channel 4. I’ve got a feeling that people will do their best to carry on with a new team, but ultimately, give up and vote with their remotes. It’s a shame that Countdown could vanish from our screens, but in all honesty, I don’t think too many people will notice after a while.