Carol Vorderman
Encyclopedia
Carol Jean Vorderman MBE
(born 24 December 1960) is a British media personality
, best known for co-hosting the popular game show Countdown
for 26 years from 1982 to 2008. In September 2011 she became a co-anchor of the ITV1
panel show Loose Women
.
to a Dutch
father and Welsh
mother. Her parents broke up three weeks after her birth, and her mother took the family back to her home town of Prestatyn
, North Wales
, where Vorderman and her siblings grew up in a one-parent household. In 1970 their mother married Armido Rizzi, a native of Italy
.
Vorderman was educated at the Roman Catholic comprehensive Blessed Edward Jones High School
in Rhyl
. At the age of seventeen she went to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
, in 1978, where she studied Engineering and gained a third class honours degree at age 20.
Vorderman did not trace the Dutch side of her family until 2007 (as part of the BBC
genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are?). It was only at this point that she discovered that her father Anton had been an active member of the Dutch resistance
during the Nazi occupation. He died whilst the programme was being filmed. Her great-grandfather Adolphe Vorderman
played a key role in the discovery of vitamins.
in Wales and later as a graduate management trainee in Leeds
. In her spare time she was briefly a backing singer along with friend Lindsay Forrest in the Leeds-based pop group Dawn Chorus and the Blue Tits, fronted by radio DJ Liz Kershaw
during the early 1980s. The group recorded such songs as a version of The Undertones
' hit Teenage Kicks
(one of the tracks Vorderman had to identify during the "intros round" when she appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks
in December 2009 – the series often includes questions from contestants' pasts). During 1984/85 she made regular appearances on the Peter Levy show on Radio Aire, appearing mid-morning to read a story for any pre-school children who might be listening with their mothers.
skills to appear as co-host on a quiz show for the fledgling fourth terrestrial channel and submitted an application on behalf of her daughter. Aged 21, Vorderman made her name on Countdown with Richard Whiteley
from the show's inception in 1982 until Whiteley's death in June 2005. Initially Vorderman's only contribution to the show was the numbers game and she formed part of a five person presentation team. However, over the coming years the team was pared down and Vorderman's contribution increased.
replaced Whiteley and co-hosted with Vorderman. In January 2007 Des O'Connor
replaced Lynam; Vorderman continued to co-host the show. Vorderman was a new type of game show hostess, revealing her intellectual ability by carrying out fast and accurate arithmetic
al calculations as part of the game. Her lasting success on the show led to her becoming one of the highest-paid women in Britain, earning £
1 million per year, from all sources.
On 25 July 2008 after her 26 unbroken years with the show it was announced that Vorderman was stepping down from Countdown. She later said she had resigned after failing to agree terms with Channel 4 for a new contract, and it was reported that she had been asked to take a cut of some 90 per cent of her previous salary, estimated as £
900,000. She had considered leaving the show when the original show's host Richard Whiteley died in 2005, but remained on the show when Lynam took over, and until 2008 when his eventual replacement O'Connor announced he was also to step down as the show's host. Vorderman later said that she had "put on a stone from the stress of being 'sacked' from Countdown". Vorderman and O'Connor both left the show in December 2008.
graduate Rachel Riley
and Sky Sports
presenter Jeff Stelling
, respectively.
Vorderman recorded her last Countdown show on 13 November 2008 and it was broadcast on 12 December 2008. Both of her children were in the audience together with many of the previous guests from "Dictionary Corner". After the prize giving at the end of that show, Des O'Connor
was presented with a bouquet of flowers by the show's lexicographer Susie Dent
and Vorderman received one from Gyles Brandreth
. She was too moved to complete her farewells. A special show, One Last Consonant, please Carol, hosted by Giles Brandreth and featuring Vorderman's highs and lows during 26 years of the show, was also filmed and transmitted just before her final Countdown appearance. After leaving Countdown she continued contributing to her column in the British magazine Reveal.
TV series Take Nobody's Word For It with Professor Ian Fells
and was chosen to compère the world chess championship
match between Garry Kasparov
and Nigel Short
in 1993. She also had a long stint presenting on CITV
's facts and science show How 2
from 1990–1996. Vorderman has worked as a researcher and producer on many shows, specialising in science and educational programmes and has presented several other television programmes including the BBC's Tomorrow's World
, but was dropped after she starred in a commercial for Ariel
washing powder. BBC management claimed it was a conflict of interest and dismissed her from the show. Vorderman refused to submit to their demand citing numerous other BBC "stars" who had been allowed to advertise products at that time. Weeks later, the ratings had dropped dramatically and the BBC asked her to return to anchor the programme but she refused.
In 1999, having been offered a lucrative contract, Vorderman moved to ITV
, going on to compère numerous television programmes including: The Pride of Britain Awards since year 2000, Stars and their Lives, What Will They Think of Next, Tested to Destruction, and the popular Better Homes, which began in 1999 and spawned a spin-off Better Gardens.
Vorderman was a newspaper reviewer on the last episode of Breakfast with Frost
. She was also a guest on Top Gear, as the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car towards the end of Series 3 in 2003. In 2004 Vorderman appeared on the second series of Strictly Come Dancing
and was voted off the show on the second show of the series. In 2005, Vorderman beat off the other celebrities in ITV
's Gameshow Marathon
, winning the series. Vorderman appeared as a guest on Have I Got News for You
on 14 May 2004, and hosted the show on 26 May 2006. She presented the Channel 4 entertainment show The Friday Night Project
on 11 August 2006.
Between 2005 and 2006 she presented Sky One
's quiz show, Carol Vorderman's Big Brain Game over two series that have since been repeated twice on the channel during 2007.
On 4 March 2010 Vorderman appeared on BBC One's Question Time
following the announcement from Michael Gove
, the UK shadow children's secretary, that she was to head the Conservatives'
taskforce on mathematics teaching. Vorderman's appearance was heavily criticised in the media, with show host, David Dimbleby
quoted in The Times
as saying: “It lasts an hour, this programme...it felt like more to me.”
In May 2011 she guest anchored ITV1's show Loose Women
, becoming a permanent co-anchor of the show's ensemble team in October. From 22 April until 2 September 2011 Carol regularly covered for Lorraine Kelly's holiday breaks by guest presenting the ITV Breakfast
programme Lorraine
.
In November 2011 Carol also appeared in the music video for New Vorder's 'Carol O Carol' (playing herself)a song written by Jim Salveson in 1999 about his love for Carol Vorderman. The video is directed by legendary music video director Tim Cocker and is set to be released on November 28th in aid of charity CLAPA.
, and in the Daily Mirror on Internet topics. She has written books on Detox diets. Her No 1 Bestseller was Detox For Life, produced in collaboration with Ko Chohan and Anita Bean and published by Virgin Books
, which sold over a million copies.
A large number of school textbooks have been published under her name, chiefly by Dorling Kindersley
in series such as English Made Easy, Maths Made Easy, Science Made Easy and How to Pass National Curriculum Maths.
products. In March 2007 she launched a brain training game called Carol Vorderman's Mind Aerobics together with BSkyB. Also in 2007, she released a video game for PlayStation 2
in the United States entitled Carol Vorderman's Sudoku.
In the autumn of 2008, soon after she completed her final regular Countdown show, Vorderman announced a new commercial venture in her own property development and sales company that would specialise in overseas holiday and retirement homes within the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Spain. Called Carol Vorderman's Overseas Homes Ltd she saw the company as a natural extension of her own experiences in buying and selling properties over recent years and was aiming at a target market of "families aged 35 plus". However, because of the international financial downturn the venture proved short-lived and during March 2009 Vorderman publicly withdrew her name from the firm, which suspended trading soon after.
On 2 March 2010 Vorderman publicly launched her new commercial venture of an online mathematics coaching system for 4 – 12 year old children under the name of the MathsFactor.
company First Plus, an association that ceased in 2007. In 2006 the charity Credit Action
attempted to highlight the potential dangers of debt consolidation, calling on Vorderman to stop giving First Plus credibility. Her agent responded that Vorderman had no intention of curtailing the contract for a service which was perfectly legal and offered by an excellent company. When quizzed by The Daily Telegraph in November 2008 Vorderman herself responded crisply with:
in Hyde Park
, alongside author Frank Cottrell Boyce
.
officer and former rugby league
international player, but the marriage lasted only twelve months. Her second marriage was to management consultant Patrick King in 1990 at age 29. Vorderman had two children, Katie (b. 1991) and Cameron (b. 1997), with King; the couple separated in 2000.
After meeting at a Christmas party in 1999, Vorderman and Daily Mail
columnist and PR consultant Des Kelly
lived together in London from 2001, also using their other house in Glandore
, West Cork
, Ireland. After five years together, Vorderman and Kelly separated in December 2006, publicly announcing the amicable split in January 2007, and after a brief reconciliation in Bristol according to reports the couple again separated in early 2011
in June 2000 for "services to broadcasting" in the Birthday Honours List. She was elected as an honorary Fellow of Bangor University
in North Wales.
Vorderman was voted UK Female Rear of the Year
in 2011.
's education policies. She appeared on Question Time
in March 2010 and voiced conservative political opinions. She agreed to head a taskforce established by the Conservative Party to look at the teaching of mathematics
. David Cameron
stated "Carol has got a passion for maths. We have all seen that on Countdown with her brilliant mental arithmetic and she is going to lead this task force so we can get the answers right” in referral to the plan.
of PC David Rathband's Blue Lamp Foundation and the Cleft Lip and Palate Association
(CLAPA) (her older brother, Anton, was born with a cleft lip and palate). In 2005 she was the winner of Ant and Dec’s Gameshow Marathon
. As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations ITV
ran a series of the nation’s favourite game shows featuring celebrities competing to become Gameshow Marathon winner and raise money for the charity of their choice. As series winner Vorderman won £60,000 for CLAPA.
Vorderman appeared in a short film promoting 'Run for the future' which promotes Prostate Cancer awareness and a charity run held every year on the Bristol Downs to raise funds for the BUI prostate appeal. She has also taken part in the Great North Run
on several occasions to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care
. This was in memory of Richard Whiteley
's sister Helen, who died of the disease.
Vorderman is an active supporter and advocate of the RAF Wings Appeal charity, appearing at airshows and taking part in other fundraising events.
Vorderman participated in Comic Relief Does The Apprentice
(BBC1) as part of the winning ladies team in March 2009 and appeared on "The Apprentice – You're Fired!" (BBC2) on 25 March 2009. She also appeared as a guest in November 2010.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 24 December 1960) is a British media personality
Infotainment
Infotainment is "information-based media content or programming that also includes entertainment content in an effort to enhance popularity with audiences and consumers." It is a neologistic portmanteau of information and entertainment, referring to a type of media which provides a combination of...
, best known for co-hosting the popular game show Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
for 26 years from 1982 to 2008. In September 2011 she became a co-anchor of the ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
panel show Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
.
Early life
Vorderman was born in BedfordBedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
to a Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
father and Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
mother. Her parents broke up three weeks after her birth, and her mother took the family back to her home town of Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, where Vorderman and her siblings grew up in a one-parent household. In 1970 their mother married Armido Rizzi, a native of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Vorderman was educated at the Roman Catholic comprehensive Blessed Edward Jones High School
Blessed Edward Jones RC High School
Blessed Edward Jones RC High School, , Cefndy Road, Rhyl, Denbighshire, is a secondary school situated in Rhyl, Denbighshire...
in Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
. At the age of seventeen she went to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.The college was founded in 1596 and named after its foundress, Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex. It was from its inception an avowedly Puritan foundation: some good and godlie moniment for the mainteynance...
, in 1978, where she studied Engineering and gained a third class honours degree at age 20.
Vorderman did not trace the Dutch side of her family until 2007 (as part of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are?). It was only at this point that she discovered that her father Anton had been an active member of the Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized by its prominent non-violence, summitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly...
during the Nazi occupation. He died whilst the programme was being filmed. Her great-grandfather Adolphe Vorderman
Adolphe Vorderman
Adolphe Guillaume Vorderman was a Dutch physician and scientist whose extensive and scrupulous study of the link between polished rice and Beriberi in the Dutch East Indies in 1897 helped lead to the discovery of vitamins...
played a key role in the discovery of vitamins.
Early career
Vorderman initially found employment as a junior civil engineer at Dinorwig Power StationDinorwig power station
The Dinorwig Power Station is a pumped-storage hydroelectric scheme, near Dinorwig, Llanberis in Snowdonia national park in Gwynedd, north Wales...
in Wales and later as a graduate management trainee in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. In her spare time she was briefly a backing singer along with friend Lindsay Forrest in the Leeds-based pop group Dawn Chorus and the Blue Tits, fronted by radio DJ Liz Kershaw
Liz Kershaw
Liz Kershaw is a UK radio broadcaster.-Early career:The elder sister of fellow broadcaster and world music exponent Andy Kershaw, she began her career as a pop journalist for the Yorkshire Post before joining Leeds station Radio Aire, where her brother also worked for a time.While in Leeds, she...
during the early 1980s. The group recorded such songs as a version of The Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...
' hit Teenage Kicks
Teenage Kicks
"Teenage Kicks" is a 1978 song originally recorded by Northern Irish punk rock group The Undertones. Composed by the band's principal songwriter, John O'Neill, it was championed by DJ John Peel, and was his all-time favourite song.-John Peel:...
(one of the tracks Vorderman had to identify during the "intros round" when she appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
in December 2009 – the series often includes questions from contestants' pasts). During 1984/85 she made regular appearances on the Peter Levy show on Radio Aire, appearing mid-morning to read a story for any pre-school children who might be listening with their mothers.
1982 – June 2005
Vorderman's mother noticed a newspaper advertisement asking for a woman with good mathematicalMathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
skills to appear as co-host on a quiz show for the fledgling fourth terrestrial channel and submitted an application on behalf of her daughter. Aged 21, Vorderman made her name on Countdown with Richard Whiteley
Richard Whiteley
John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL , usually known as Richard Whiteley, was an English broadcaster and journalist. He was famous for his twenty-three years as host of Countdown, a letters and numbers arrangement game show broadcast most weekdays on Channel 4...
from the show's inception in 1982 until Whiteley's death in June 2005. Initially Vorderman's only contribution to the show was the numbers game and she formed part of a five person presentation team. However, over the coming years the team was pared down and Vorderman's contribution increased.
After Richard Whiteley
In June 2005 the producers of Countdown asked Vorderman if she wanted to fill the role of main presenter vacated by the recently deceased Richard Whiteley. Vorderman declined, and a search for a new presenter began while the show went into a four-month hiatus. In October 2005, Des LynamDes Lynam
Desmond Michael "Des" Lynam, OBE is an Irish television and radio presenter based in the UK.He has hosted television coverage of high profile events for many years...
replaced Whiteley and co-hosted with Vorderman. In January 2007 Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
replaced Lynam; Vorderman continued to co-host the show. Vorderman was a new type of game show hostess, revealing her intellectual ability by carrying out fast and accurate arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
al calculations as part of the game. Her lasting success on the show led to her becoming one of the highest-paid women in Britain, earning £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 million per year, from all sources.
On 25 July 2008 after her 26 unbroken years with the show it was announced that Vorderman was stepping down from Countdown. She later said she had resigned after failing to agree terms with Channel 4 for a new contract, and it was reported that she had been asked to take a cut of some 90 per cent of her previous salary, estimated as £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
900,000. She had considered leaving the show when the original show's host Richard Whiteley died in 2005, but remained on the show when Lynam took over, and until 2008 when his eventual replacement O'Connor announced he was also to step down as the show's host. Vorderman later said that she had "put on a stone from the stress of being 'sacked' from Countdown". Vorderman and O'Connor both left the show in December 2008.
Final period
The producers auditioned for Vorderman and O'Connor's successors. On 21 November 2008 it was announced that these would be 22-year-old OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
graduate Rachel Riley
Rachel Riley
Rachel Annabelle Riley is an English television presenter. Since 12 January 2009 she has been the co-host of Countdown. She replaced Carol Vorderman from the 60th series onwards...
and Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
presenter Jeff Stelling
Jeff Stelling
Robert Jeffrey "Jeff" Stelling is an English sports journalist and sport television presenter, of Gillette Soccer Saturday for Sky Sports and other programming for the satellite broadcaster. In January 2009 he took over as host of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown...
, respectively.
Vorderman recorded her last Countdown show on 13 November 2008 and it was broadcast on 12 December 2008. Both of her children were in the audience together with many of the previous guests from "Dictionary Corner". After the prize giving at the end of that show, Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
was presented with a bouquet of flowers by the show's lexicographer Susie Dent
Susie Dent
Susie Dent is an English lexicographer, well known as the resident dictionary expert and adjudicator on Channel 4’s long-running game show Countdown. As of January 2009, she is the longest-serving member of the current on-screen team, having first appeared on the show in 1992.Dent was educated at...
and Vorderman received one from Gyles Brandreth
Gyles Brandreth
Gyles Daubeney Brandreth is a British writer, broadcaster and former Conservative Member of Parliament and junior minister.-Early life:...
. She was too moved to complete her farewells. A special show, One Last Consonant, please Carol, hosted by Giles Brandreth and featuring Vorderman's highs and lows during 26 years of the show, was also filmed and transmitted just before her final Countdown appearance. After leaving Countdown she continued contributing to her column in the British magazine Reveal.
Other TV appearances
Between 1987 and 1989 Vorderman co-hosted BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV series Take Nobody's Word For It with Professor Ian Fells
Ian Fells
Ian Fells CBE, PhD, FREng, FRSC, FInstE, FIChemE, FRSE is Emeritus Professor of Energy Conversion at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and former chairman of the "New and Renewable Energy Centre" at Blyth, Northumberland, England.-Education and career:...
and was chosen to compère the world chess championship
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
match between Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
and Nigel Short
Nigel Short
Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...
in 1993. She also had a long stint presenting on CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
's facts and science show How 2
How 2
How 2 was an informative children's programme produced by TVS between 1990 and 1992, and STV Productions from 1993 to 2006....
from 1990–1996. Vorderman has worked as a researcher and producer on many shows, specialising in science and educational programmes and has presented several other television programmes including the BBC's Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
, but was dropped after she starred in a commercial for Ariel
Ariel (laundry)
Ariel is a marketing line of laundry detergents made by Procter & Gamble. It is the flagship brand in Procter & Gamble's European, Mexican, Japanese, Brazilian, Peruvian, Turkish, Filipino, Colombian and Venezuelan portfolios. In some U.S. stores, Mexican Ariel is available.Ariel first appeared on...
washing powder. BBC management claimed it was a conflict of interest and dismissed her from the show. Vorderman refused to submit to their demand citing numerous other BBC "stars" who had been allowed to advertise products at that time. Weeks later, the ratings had dropped dramatically and the BBC asked her to return to anchor the programme but she refused.
In 1999, having been offered a lucrative contract, Vorderman moved to ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, going on to compère numerous television programmes including: The Pride of Britain Awards since year 2000, Stars and their Lives, What Will They Think of Next, Tested to Destruction, and the popular Better Homes, which began in 1999 and spawned a spin-off Better Gardens.
Vorderman was a newspaper reviewer on the last episode of Breakfast with Frost
Breakfast with Frost
Breakfast with Frost was a talk show hosted by Sir David Frost on the BBC on Sunday mornings. The news presenter was Moira Stuart. The show ran for more than 12 years and exactly 500 editions between 3 January 1993 and 29 May 2005...
. She was also a guest on Top Gear, as the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car towards the end of Series 3 in 2003. In 2004 Vorderman appeared on the second series of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
and was voted off the show on the second show of the series. In 2005, Vorderman beat off the other celebrities in ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Gameshow Marathon
Gameshow Marathon (UK game show)
Gameshow Marathon is a British game show, broadcast from 17 September 2005 to 26 May 2007 on ITV .After a quick retrospective look at the history of the particular show, the show itself is recreated. This involved recreating the original set and using original opening programme titles, including...
, winning the series. Vorderman appeared as a guest on Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
on 14 May 2004, and hosted the show on 26 May 2006. She presented the Channel 4 entertainment show The Friday Night Project
The Friday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project was a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title The Friday Night Project...
on 11 August 2006.
Between 2005 and 2006 she presented Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
's quiz show, Carol Vorderman's Big Brain Game over two series that have since been repeated twice on the channel during 2007.
On 4 March 2010 Vorderman appeared on BBC One's Question Time
Question Time (TV series)
Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...
following the announcement from Michael Gove
Michael Gove
Michael Andrew Gove, MP is a British politician, who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Education and as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Surrey Heath constituency. He is also a published author and former journalist.Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen...
, the UK shadow children's secretary, that she was to head the Conservatives'
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
taskforce on mathematics teaching. Vorderman's appearance was heavily criticised in the media, with show host, David Dimbleby
David Dimbleby
David Dimbleby is a British BBC TV commentator and a presenter of current affairs and political programmes, most notably the BBC's flagship political show Question Time, and more recently, art, architectural history and history series...
quoted in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as saying: “It lasts an hour, this programme...it felt like more to me.”
In May 2011 she guest anchored ITV1's show Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
, becoming a permanent co-anchor of the show's ensemble team in October. From 22 April until 2 September 2011 Carol regularly covered for Lorraine Kelly's holiday breaks by guest presenting the ITV Breakfast
ITV Breakfast
ITV Breakfast Limited is the national ITV breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom...
programme Lorraine
Lorraine (TV programme)
Lorraine is the early weekday morning, lifestyle and entertainment show for the British ITV network, presented by Lorraine Kelly. ITV Breakfast produces Lorraine, which airs every weekday from 08:30 until 09:25, following Daybreak...
.
In November 2011 Carol also appeared in the music video for New Vorder's 'Carol O Carol' (playing herself)a song written by Jim Salveson in 1999 about his love for Carol Vorderman. The video is directed by legendary music video director Tim Cocker and is set to be released on November 28th in aid of charity CLAPA.
Journalism
Vorderman has had newspaper columns in The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, and in the Daily Mirror on Internet topics. She has written books on Detox diets. Her No 1 Bestseller was Detox For Life, produced in collaboration with Ko Chohan and Anita Bean and published by Virgin Books
Virgin Books
Virgin Books is a United Kingdom book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Enterprises, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company.-History:...
, which sold over a million copies.
A large number of school textbooks have been published under her name, chiefly by Dorling Kindersley
Dorling Kindersley
Dorling Kindersley is an international publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 51 languages. It is currently part of the Penguin Group....
in series such as English Made Easy, Maths Made Easy, Science Made Easy and How to Pass National Curriculum Maths.
Commercial ventures
Vorderman also expanded her business ventures launching a number of sudokuSudoku
is a logic-based, combinatorial number-placement puzzle. The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid with digits so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 sub-grids that compose the grid contains all of the digits from 1 to 9...
products. In March 2007 she launched a brain training game called Carol Vorderman's Mind Aerobics together with BSkyB. Also in 2007, she released a video game for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
in the United States entitled Carol Vorderman's Sudoku.
In the autumn of 2008, soon after she completed her final regular Countdown show, Vorderman announced a new commercial venture in her own property development and sales company that would specialise in overseas holiday and retirement homes within the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Spain. Called Carol Vorderman's Overseas Homes Ltd she saw the company as a natural extension of her own experiences in buying and selling properties over recent years and was aiming at a target market of "families aged 35 plus". However, because of the international financial downturn the venture proved short-lived and during March 2009 Vorderman publicly withdrew her name from the firm, which suspended trading soon after.
On 2 March 2010 Vorderman publicly launched her new commercial venture of an online mathematics coaching system for 4 – 12 year old children under the name of the MathsFactor.
Endorsement controversy
Vorderman had maintained a long-standing endorsement of the debt consolidationDebt consolidation
Debt consolidation entails taking out one loan to pay off many others. This is often done to secure a lower interest rate, secure a fixed interest rate or for the convenience of servicing only one loan....
company First Plus, an association that ceased in 2007. In 2006 the charity Credit Action
Credit Action
Credit Action is a UK charity founded in 1994 that promotes money education and financial literacy. Credit Action works with government, regulators and the lending industry and has a close partnership with the Consumer Credit Counselling Service , a debt counseling and management service.The...
attempted to highlight the potential dangers of debt consolidation, calling on Vorderman to stop giving First Plus credibility. Her agent responded that Vorderman had no intention of curtailing the contract for a service which was perfectly legal and offered by an excellent company. When quizzed by The Daily Telegraph in November 2008 Vorderman herself responded crisply with:
"The secured loans market was criticised and it was pertinent to pick me out, because I was a face. I advertised FirstPlus for 10 years. We had something like £1.5billion out on loan and until a matter of months ago there were no repossessions. When that programme [BBC's Real Story] was made, [there were] no repossessions. Did they say that? Funnily enough, no."
Other activities
On 18 September 2010 Vorderman, a Catholic, co-presented events prior to the Papal VigilPope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom from 16 to 19 September 2010 was the first state visit by a pope to the United Kingdom...
in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, alongside author Frank Cottrell Boyce
Frank Cottrell Boyce
-Awards:*2004: Buch des Monats des Instituts für Jugendliteratur/Book of the Month by the Institute for Youth Literature , Millions*2004: Carnegie Medal, Millions*2004: Luchs des Jahres , Millions...
.
Personal life
Vorderman was first married in 1985 at age 24 to Christopher Mather, a Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer and former rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
international player, but the marriage lasted only twelve months. Her second marriage was to management consultant Patrick King in 1990 at age 29. Vorderman had two children, Katie (b. 1991) and Cameron (b. 1997), with King; the couple separated in 2000.
After meeting at a Christmas party in 1999, Vorderman and Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
columnist and PR consultant Des Kelly
Des Kelly
Des Kelly is a British journalist and broadcaster. The award-winning sports columnist for The Daily Mail appears In the paper every Saturday, having joined in 2004....
lived together in London from 2001, also using their other house in Glandore
Glandore
Glandore |Cork]] city.The village has several pubs, with traditional music. It is a very popular holiday destination for Irish holiday makers in particular. Famous homeowners include Margaret Jay, former leader of the House of Lords, and Tony O'Reilly. The village yacht club's official headquarters...
, West Cork
West Cork
West Cork refers to a geographical area in south-west Ireland, lying within Ireland's largest county, County Cork. Traditionally a popular tourist destination, the area is seen as being distinct from the more populated northern or eastern parts of the county, as well as the more urban area of...
, Ireland. After five years together, Vorderman and Kelly separated in December 2006, publicly announcing the amicable split in January 2007, and after a brief reconciliation in Bristol according to reports the couple again separated in early 2011
Honours and awards
Vorderman was honoured as a Member of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in June 2000 for "services to broadcasting" in the Birthday Honours List. She was elected as an honorary Fellow of Bangor University
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
in North Wales.
Vorderman was voted UK Female Rear of the Year
Rear of the Year
Rear of the Year is a light-hearted British award for celebrities who are considered to have a notable posterior. It was created by publicity consultant Anthony Edwards and is organised by Rear of the Year Limited.-History:...
in 2011.
Political activity
There have been persistent rumours that Vorderman is a supporter of the UK Conservative Party though she has not confirmed this. In addition, she is a frequent critic of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
's education policies. She appeared on Question Time
Question Time
Question time in a parliament occurs when members of the parliament ask questions of government ministers , which they are obliged to answer. It usually occurs daily while parliament is sitting, though it can be cancelled in exceptional circumstances...
in March 2010 and voiced conservative political opinions. She agreed to head a taskforce established by the Conservative Party to look at the teaching of mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
stated "Carol has got a passion for maths. We have all seen that on Countdown with her brilliant mental arithmetic and she is going to lead this task force so we can get the answers right” in referral to the plan.
Charity work
Vorderman is a patronPatrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
of PC David Rathband's Blue Lamp Foundation and the Cleft Lip and Palate Association
Cleft Lip and Palate Association
The Cleft Lip and Palate Association also known as CLAPA is a charity registered in England and is the only UK-wide voluntary organisation specifically helping those with, and affected by, cleft lip and palate....
(CLAPA) (her older brother, Anton, was born with a cleft lip and palate). In 2005 she was the winner of Ant and Dec’s Gameshow Marathon
Gameshow Marathon (UK game show)
Gameshow Marathon is a British game show, broadcast from 17 September 2005 to 26 May 2007 on ITV .After a quick retrospective look at the history of the particular show, the show itself is recreated. This involved recreating the original set and using original opening programme titles, including...
. As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
ran a series of the nation’s favourite game shows featuring celebrities competing to become Gameshow Marathon winner and raise money for the charity of their choice. As series winner Vorderman won £60,000 for CLAPA.
Vorderman appeared in a short film promoting 'Run for the future' which promotes Prostate Cancer awareness and a charity run held every year on the Bristol Downs to raise funds for the BUI prostate appeal. She has also taken part in the Great North Run
Great North Run
The Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon, taking place annually each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields in England. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.The first Great...
on several occasions to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care
Marie Curie Cancer Care
Marie Curie Cancer Care is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom which provides nursing care, free of charge, to terminally ill people, giving them the chance to choose to be cared for at home...
. This was in memory of Richard Whiteley
Richard Whiteley
John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL , usually known as Richard Whiteley, was an English broadcaster and journalist. He was famous for his twenty-three years as host of Countdown, a letters and numbers arrangement game show broadcast most weekdays on Channel 4...
's sister Helen, who died of the disease.
Vorderman is an active supporter and advocate of the RAF Wings Appeal charity, appearing at airshows and taking part in other fundraising events.
Vorderman participated in Comic Relief Does The Apprentice
Comic Relief Does The Apprentice
Comic Relief Does The Apprentice is a special celebrity version of British reality television series The Apprentice, produced to raise money for Comic Relief. The first edition aired in March 2007, and the second in March 2009. Five male celebrities and five female celebrities took part in the show...
(BBC1) as part of the winning ladies team in March 2009 and appeared on "The Apprentice – You're Fired!" (BBC2) on 25 March 2009. She also appeared as a guest in November 2010.
Videos and published writings
- Carol Vorderman's Pop Music Times Tables, 1991
- Carol Vorderman's How to Write a Perfect Letter, 1991
- How Mathematics Works, 1996
- Carol Vorderman's Guide to the Internet (written with Rob Young), 1998
- Carol Vorderman's How To Do Sudoku, 2005
- Carol Vorderman's Massive Book Of Sudoku, 2005
- Eat Yourself Clever, 2008
- Carol Vorderman's Guide to Maths
- Carol Vorderman's Detox Diet
- It All Counts, 2010