Anne Robinson

Murray has guest hosted the UK’s longest running TV quiz show since summer 2022, becoming a favourite among fans.

Confirming the news on Steph’s Packed Lunch, Murray said: “It’s a career dream to be named as permanent anchor of one of television's most iconic programmes. I have been a fan since day one, been part of the family for over a decade, appearing on Dictionary Corner, and now I get the honour of guiding it into a fifth decade. However, I just don’t want Countdown to survive, I want it to thrive.

The announcement came via a Countdown conundrum, revealed live on Steph’s Packed Lunch.

The formidable former question master of The Weakest Link is the first female host of the iconic programme.

Robinson will be joining wordsmith Susie Dent and number cruncher Rachel Riley on the show and will make her on-screen debut this summer.

Quiz shows are enjoying their golden age. Never before has the armchair quizzer had so many opportunities to show off their knowledge in front of the TV. The Wall and Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? prosper in primetime, but it’s during the daytime and early-evening schedules that quiz shows come into their own.

She was speaking at an RTS early-evening event in early December that celebrated the enduring appeal of quiz shows.

The audience were treated to a clip of Keppel’s triumph – one of British TV’s most iconic moments. Despite appearing calm and clear-headed as she pondered the jackpot question –Which king was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine?* – Keppel admitted: “I was like a duck – I was paddling madly underneath.

“I wasn’t calm at all. I thought my heartbeat was so loud that the mics would pick it up.”