Countdown: Why is Rachel Riley not on Channel 4 show - who is her replacement Dr Tom Crawford?

Countdown viewers tuning in this week may be wondering where Rachel Riley is, with the famous mathematician missing from the Channel 4 show.

Riley has held the role of the resident maths buff on the famous quiz show since 2009, but has been missing from screens this week as viewers wonder where the star has gone. Instead, YouTuber Dr Tom Crawford is looking after the numbers and letters, joining host Colin Murray, expert linguist Susie Dent and this week’s dictionary corner guest Sir Stephen Fry.

But why is Rachel missing from the show - and who is her new replacement? Here’s everything you need to know.

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Why is Rachel Riley missing from Countdown?

Rachel took to Instagram to inform viewer that she would be missing from the next few weeks of Countdown. She revealed that she would be taking time to focus on a new project, with Dr Tom Crawford replacing her.

The number cruncher said: “Best of luck to @tomrocksmaths for the next few weeks on Countdown! Dr Tom will be keeping my numbers warm from Monday for the next 3 weeks whilst I’m away. I had a good excuse, I’ll tell you more soon 😜

“We’re both Oxford maths geeks and ambassadors for @national_numeracy so you’ll barely notice the difference. Have fun Tom, and all our lovely viewers, have fun watching!”

Who is Dr Tom Crawford?

Picking up Rachel’s mantel on the show, Dr Tom said on Instagram: “Still can’t believe this happened, but you will now be able to watch me attempting to do maths live on television for the next 3 weeks, starting Monday at 2:10pm on @channel4. @rachelrileyrr - and her unparalleled arithmetic skills - are irreplaceable, but with @mrcolinmurray and @susiedent by my side, we’ll do our very best to keep you entertained for the next few weeks. Long live daytime television!!”

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Dr Tom is a lecturer in Applied Maths at Cambridge University, as well as serving as a lecturer and public engagement lead at Oxford University.

However, he may be more familiar to some due to his popular YouTube channel. His channel TomRocksMaths boasts over 215,000 subscribers and features videos which have gained millions of views.

Some of his most popular video include ‘Oxford University Mathematician takes American SAT Exam’, ‘Can ChatGPT pass the Oxford University Admissions Test?’, and a ‘Maths Speed Dating’ series that feature collaborations with other mathematicians.

He is also known for his love of alternative and rock music, as even commemorated his Countdown debut with a new tattoo.

Countdown continues on Channel 4 weekdays at 2.10pm

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