Countdown owner threat to end show

chris

The future of Channel 4 show Countdown was thrown into doubt when the businessman who owns the rights to the quiz threatened to pull the plug.

Over the weekend presenter Carol Vorderman claimed she quit because she was told to take or leave a 90% pay cut.

Now Belgian businessman Marcel Stellman, who owns the show's rights, threatened to pull the plug in response to the show's treatment of the veteran presenter.

He told the Daily Mirror: "I control the format and without the format there is no show. I am upset for Carol, more than that, this is a person I have known for 26 years who started Countdown.

"If I am Mr Countdown, she is Mrs Countdown. She is delightful and loyal and cannot be treated in any other way than respect.

"If they don't come up with things they have promised in writing, and are now being dealt with by my solicitors, from now on I don't wish to talk about the future."

Mr Stellman added he was "not happy" with ITV productions, the company that makes Countdown.

Vorderman, who has worked on the show for 26 years, said she had offered to accept a pay cut of one-third, in line with the show's 33% budget cut.

Showbusiness agent Jonathan Shalit, who represents stars including musician Myleene Klass and former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, told the Daily Telegraph that while star names such as Simon Cowell would continue to command "super salaries", "jobbing presenters" would face tougher times.

He said: "Commercial broadcasters like ITV and Channel 4 pay presenters based on the popularity of their shows and the amount of advertising revenue they bring in.

source:The Press Association