How I make Rachel Riley’s 注目する，もくろむs 広げる in 恐れる about what I might say next: Countdown’s NICK HEWER on life behind the scenes of TV’s most gently 中毒の 質問（する） show

• e-mail

Nick Hewer has become one of our best-loved characters on TV ― first, as one of Lord Sugar’s sidekicks on The 見習い工, and now as host of the words and numbers game Countdown.

In the first part of our serialisation of his memoirs on Saturday, he told how he was an unknown PR man until, by 事故, he 設立する himself auditioned for television.

Here, in the final part ― with characteristic self-deprecation ― he takes us behind the scenes of 記録，記録的な／記録するing at Countdown...

Nick Hewer has become one of our best-loved characters on TV

Sitting in my dressing room on The 見習い工 始める，決める, I was 存在 紅d up by Mandy, the make-up artist, when Alan Sugar strolled in.?

I had news for him: I’d been 申し込む／申し出d the 職業 of 現在のing Countdown.

Always one to get to the point, he said: ‘What’s that?’

I gave him an 輪郭（を描く） of the long-running afternoon TV 質問（する） show.

‘How much?’ he said. I told him.

‘Do it,’ was his 早い 返答 as he strolled out again.

Suddenly, at the age of 68, I 設立する myself ひどく committed with two major TV shows on the go at once.

I was also, to put it bluntly, rather surprised at the level of income and flattered to have been asked to take the 舵輪／支配 of the programme that can 誇る of more series than any other, as 確認するd in the Guinness World 記録，記録的な／記録するs.

The phone call had come 完全に out-of-the blue a few weeks earlier. On the other end had been Tom Mclaughlin, managing director of the country’s largest （衆議院の）議長 機関, which had 調書をとる／予約するd me over the last five years.

‘Countdown have been on the phone and want to know whether you’d be 利益／興味d in 現在のing the show,’ he said.

‘What do you think?’ I asked.

‘井戸／弁護士席,’ he replied, ‘it’s been running since 1982, very 井戸／弁護士席 設立するd, probably Britain’s best-known afternoon 質問（する） show, and I think you might like it.’

‘I’ve never watched the show,’ I said. ‘Let me have a look and I’ll come 支援する to you.’

I tuned in that afternoon and asked around and （機の）カム to the 会社／堅い 結論 there would be a lot of experienced presenters going for this 職業, but I might 同様に throw my hat into the （犯罪の）一味.

To my surprise, a few weeks later, I 設立する myself sitting in the gallery of the old Granada studios in Quay Street, Manchester, watching Jeff Stelling silkily 現在の Countdown in 前線 of a live audience, with Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner and Rachel Riley 扱うing the numbers and letters bo ard.

After an hour or so in the 不明瞭, the 生産者, Damian Eadie, turned to me and said: ‘Do you want a go?’

I thought it rude to 拒絶する／低下する, and next thing I knew I was on the 床に打ち倒す of the studio 存在 mic’d up by Denise. The 床に打ち倒す 経営者／支配人, Jay, gave me some words of advice (now forgotten), and finally Denise plugged what felt like an onion in my 権利 ear ― the famous earpiece.

Damian （機の）カム through loud and （疑いを）晴らす with a few curt 指示／教授／教育s. The director Derek Hallworth took over and told me not to worry.

Nick Hewer on the 始める，決める of Countdown with Susie Dent and Rachel Riley

Cindy （機の）カム on the line and told me she would count me 負かす／撃墜する, and then the sound engineer and lighting 監督者 were on the line, checking on my 慰安 level. And thus, with all these 発言する／表明するs dancing around in my 長，率いる, off we went.

If Jeff Stelling was as smooth as polished marble, then I was a heap of がれき by comparison. After ten minutes of 落ちるing masonry, it was called to a 停止（させる） and I staggered out of the studio.

I thought no more ab out it until, a couple of weeks later, the (n)役員／(a)執行力のある 生産者, Peter Gwyn, called me to ask how I felt it had all gone.

I told him I was 明確に not 削減（する） out for such a 役割.

‘Oh, come on,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t that bad. In fact, we’d like to 追求する it a little more . . . I will bring the team 負かす／撃墜する to London together with a presenter trainer, and we’ll see whether we can’t knock off some of those rough 辛勝する／優位s.’

That’s 正確に／まさに what happened, and the がまんするing memory and the best piece of advice that I was given is, when 現在のd with a Countdown script, do not read it word for word ― unless you have an autocue (which we don’t) ― but just get the general gist and do it in your own words.

Another 実験（する）, which I passed surprisingly easily, was finishing a piece on time: the director in one’s earpiece counts you 負かす／撃墜する so that you 攻撃する，衝突する the pips.

A few weeks passed and the (n)役員／(a)執行力のある 生産者 called again to say that they were very happy and would like to 申し込む／申し出 me a 契約.

I referred him 支援する to Tom Mclaughlin, who was soon in touch.

‘This is a good gig,’ he said. ‘It 伴う／関わるs 225 shows a year, with five shows 記録，記録的な／記録するd per day in three-day 封鎖するs. I have managed to 増加する their 申し込む／申し出 かなり and I think you should take it.’

‘But I’m already doing The 見習い工, so I’m committed to an eight-week shoot and all the other 無作為の days and events, so I’ve got to be a bit careful.’

‘Make hay while the sun 向こうずねs,’ he trilled. I took his advice.

That was in 2011. Seven years, and counting . . .

FOR those who’ve been in a medically induced 昏睡 for the last 36 years and 港／避難所’t seen the show, then tune in to Channel 4 any weekday afternoon to find out what it’s all about.

It’s 基本的に live Scrabble with a teapot as a prize.

This is, I think, what makes it so charming: there are no money prizes, no 解放する／自由な holidays, no 始める，決めるs of stainless-steel saucepans to be won ― just a dictionary and a teapot and the glory of 存在 a Countdown 勝利者. Indeed, the most たびたび（訪れる） c ry from a winning contestant is: ‘I’ve got my teapot, that’s all I （機の）カム for.’

'いつかs, as I sort of wander off-piste, I see Rachel’s 注目する，もくろむs 広げるing in dread 予期 of what I might say next'

I was recently asked to acquire a teapot for a friend, who was somewhat irritated to learn that this was 絶対 out of the question, as 供給（する）s were held in a locked room and carefully audited. Even I don’t have one; nor do Susie or Rachel.

People often say that I look very relaxed on 審査する, which surprises me, as in truth I don’t feel very 確信して.?

Half the time I think I’m terrible at this, and the other half of the time I’m 説 to myself, I’m just about getting away with it.

Last year, に引き続いて the news that Channel 4 手配中の，お尋ね者 to 増加する the number of shows from 225 to 260 a year and, その上に, 手配中の，お尋ね者 me to 調印する a two-year 取引，協定, I called in o n Jay 追跡（する）, then the de facto boss, to thank her for Channel 4’s continued support.

‘Don’t thank us,’ she said. ‘We’re thanking you and the whole Countdown team. We’re very happy with the show.’ I thanked her again and she 静かに said: ‘Learn to take a compliment.’

Jay, whom I’ve known since she was 監査役 of BBC1 and in 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of The 見習い工, has a fearsome 評判 but somehow has always been 肉親，親類d to me.

I 普通は arrive in Salford’s マスコミ City, where the show is now 記録，記録的な／記録するd, the evening before the first day of 記録，記録的な／記録するing.?

I spend the 旅行 in the car 場内取引員／株価 up my scripts and familiarising myself with the biographies of the Dictionary Corner guests, together with thumbnail sketches of the anecdotes they are 予定 to 配達する over the に引き続いて three days.

Remembering the advice I was given on that 初期の training 開会／開廷／会期 six years ago, I try to flesh out the intro scripts, written by assistant 生産者 David Smith, so that I can put in some personal anecdotes.

Most of the BBC newsreaders traipse over from their nearby studio to our studio once a year as Dictionary Corner guests, and they’re always amazed that I’m not working from an autocue.

I must 収容する／認める that an autocue would save me a lot of 強調する／ストレス, but 予算s are 予算s and, it’s also （人命などを）奪う，主張するd, the 生産者s want a わずかに haphazard and spontaneous approach.

いつかs, as I sort of wander off-piste, I see Rachel’s 注目する，もくろむs 広げるing in dread 予期 of what I might say next. In truth, it’s anybody’s guess because I often don’t know myself where I’m 長，率いるing.

In the very 早期に days, I once worked out the word CONIFERS on the board ― a creditable 得点する／非難する／２０ of eight ― and, with the clock still ticking, I was so excited I shouted it out.

When the clock had finished its sweep, and with the rebuke of the director （犯罪の）一味ing in my earpiece, I asked e ach competitor for their word and was not surprised to find that each had also chosen the word ‘conifers’. To my 抱擁する 当惑, we had to do it all over again.

Susie, on the other 手渡す, is the mistress of self-支配（する）／統制する, and I never 中止する to be amazed at her professionalism and 驚くべき／特命の／臨時の learning as she 配達するs, over each three-day 封鎖する of 15 programmes, 15 perfectly （手先の）技術d and 遂行する／発効させるd little essays on her chosen 主題 ― an exceptional talent.

And Rachel, an Oxford maths 卒業生（する）, 炎s her way through the most difficult challenges without a moment’s hesitation.

The day starts when I leave the hotel at 9.30 am and 長，率いる for the studio. Then it’s into the ドッキングする／減らす／ドックに入れる 10 building at マスコミ City, 解除する to the first 床に打ち倒す and let myself into the Countdown 回廊（地帯）.

Dropping my stuff off in my rather luxurious dressing room, I を回避する to the make-up room where we all mill about before and after each show. (We 記録，記録的な／記録する five episodes a day, so it’s necessary, after every game, to get a fresh 始める，決める of 着せる／賦与するs to differentiate between the days.)

So, there we all are in ドッキングする／減らす／ドックに入れる 10, 急落（する），激減（する）d into the 平行の universe that is a TV studio with no natural light ― a 肉親，親類d of crepuscular half-world in which, beyond the painfully 有望な 重要な lights which the lighting director deliberately and sadistically 主張するs on pointing straight at me, I can see nothing of the audience that lurks in the 不明瞭 beyond.

Most of the Dictionary Corner guests come because they love Countdown ― 非，不，無 more so than Jo Brand and Gyles Brandreth, who’ve been on since almost the beginning of time.

Nothing fazes performers like these, but there are those who come and, while 事実上の／代理 in a nonchalant manner, are unable to disguise their 神経s as they enter the studio, for there is no place to hide for those who airily wave a way an earpiece. It always amuses me to see that same celeb call for an earpiece two games later and be 大（公）使館員d to Damian’s lifeline.

For me, the success of a show, or certainly the enjoyment, depends on the chemistry I have with the Dictionary Corner guest.

That certainly 適用するs to Jo and Gyles, but 追加する to them celebrities such as Janet Street-Porter, the remarkable 野性生物 専門家s Chris Packham and Steve Backshall, Jimmy Osmond, the hilarious Rufus Hound, Gloria Hunniford, Hugh Dennis, Jon Culshaw, Richard Madeley, Tim Rice and the twinkling-注目する，もくろむd Louise Minchin, to 指名する just a few.

A 最近の guest, the 広大な／多数の／重要な boxer Barry McGuigan, 証明するd to be delightful. It gave me 広大な／多数の／重要な 楽しみ to tell him that my mother, who was born in Northern Ireland, adored him and, when watching him fight on television, used to 嘆願d: ‘Don’t you 傷つける my Barry!’

A more ありそうもない fight fan would be hard to find, but strangely she loved ボクシング and fell into a long and friendly correspondence with the commentator Harry Carpenter.

I was surprised to be told by my sister, Annabelle, recently that Mum was a daily Countdown テレビ視聴者, slipping away to the TV room with a cup of tea, pad and pencil and a cigarette to watch the first presenter, Richard Whiteley.?

Princess Margaret also 明らかにする／漏らすd in an interview that her sister was a keen テレビ視聴者, although she failed to say whether HMQ played along.

The 圧力 on the contestants is 激しい, for though they’ve all passed an audition to 実験（する） their ability in the game and they all play at home (no 疑問 brilliantly), once they enter the 円形競技場, with the big clock behind them and the 有望な lights and a live audience, any over-信用／信任 soon evaporates, 特に for those who are now 直面するing a player who has already 蓄積するd f ive 勝利，勝つs.

My greatest 恐れる is for the contestant who hasn’t managed to get on the scoreboard while his or her competitor racks up a 大規模な 得点する／非難する／２０.?

He/she stands at 無, the competitor at 55, and I pray that the underdog will 得点する／非難する／２０ at least something before the final 一連の会議、交渉／完成する.

He/she starts to panic, I start to panic, praying that the competitor in the lead will just 緩和する off the throttle a little bit, but of course this is a very 競争の激しい 状況／情勢.

I’ve yet to 統括する over a game when one player stays on 無, and I hope that 状況／情勢 never occurs.

While I can have fun with the celebrities sitting next to Susie, I like to 伸び（る） some 和合 with the contestants, not always 平易な given the 強調する／ストレス they must be under.

There are exceptions, contestants who can relax and enjoy the experience, 顕著に, in 最近の times, the famous Moose, an ex-巡査 who charmed us all; and I’ll never forget Liam Moloney from Galway who went home to a hero’s welcome and 解放する／自由な pints of the 黒人／ボイコット stuff for evermore after a successful Countdown run.

It’s an exhausting schedule, and by the end I’m thrown 半分-conscious into the 支援する of the car to return to my home in Northamptonshire, where my partner Catherine を待つs with the words: ‘You must be sick with exhaustion. There’s duck for dinner.’

Until the next time.

My Alphabet: A Life From A To Z by Nick Hewer is published by Simon & Schuster at £20. ? Nick Hewer 2018.?

To order a copy for £16 (20 per cent 割引, valid until September 5), visit mailshop.co.uk/調書をとる／予約するs or call 0844 571 0640. P&P is 解放する／自由な.