Rachel Riley: Countdown star WARNS team as backstage innuendos are revealed
RACHEL RILEY, who has appeared on Countdown since 2009, has warned her team members about their use of bad language behind-the-scenes, according to her co-star Susie Dent.
Susie, 53, gave examples of the innuendos used backstage on Channel 4 show Countdown and revealed Rachel Riley, 32, is often at the centre of them.
Speaking to The Metro’s Guilty Pleasures, she commented: “It’s less swear words and more innuendo.
“Usually Nick [Hewer, the host] and I are blissfully unaware and Rachel tells us, ‘You can’t say that’."
Speaking about another experience, Susie told how Nick made a flippant comment that Rachel was “gagging”.
Susie told the publication: “One day there had been a series of incredibly easy number games so Rachel didn’t have to do anything and Nick looked over to her and said, ‘Poor Rachel, she’s gagging for a hard one’.
The brunette also revealed that during a segment about the etymology of items of clothing, more flippant comments across the team emerged.
She spilled: “I got to underwear and was talking about suspenders and teddies — I looked at Nick and said, ‘I don’t know if you’ve ever come across a teddy, Nick?’ at which point Rachel doubled over and Martin Lewis, who was in dictionary corner, was banging his head on the desk.
“Things like that happen often.”
When asked if swear words are permitted from the show, the Channel 4 veteran spilled: “Not really.
“You can put ‘w****r’ on the board but it’s bleeped out, you’re not allowed to say it.
“‘S***face’ was allowed but also bleeped out.”
On the show yesterday, Rachel reacted after Susie refused to call her a 'derogatory' term.
The former Strictly Come Dancing star was seen pulling a face when Susie revealed the word “blondie" which was noticed from their chosen letters.
Sir Tim Rice, who was sat alongside her, told Nick: “You can have ‘blondie’ and amazingly, Susie discovered, you can have ‘blondies’ in the plural.”
Susie replied: “Yes, well, it’s probably slightly derogatory for a blonde-haired person.
Countdown: Hilarious moment Rachel Riley spells crude word
She added: “I wouldn’t call Rachel a ‘blondie’.”
The camera then turned to Rachel who pulled an amused expression to the camera.
After her reaction, Susan added: “They’re also cupcakes with vanilla flavouring or butterscotch flavouring, quite popular in America — ‘blondies’.”
Countdown continues today at 2.10pm on Channel 4.
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown continues Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.