Carol Jean Vorderman MBE (born 24 December 1960, Bedford), is a UK television personality best known for being a long-standing co-presenter of Channel 4 game show Countdown. She was awarded an MBE in June 2000. is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the English county town. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A television presenter is a British term for a person who introduces or hosts television programmes. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the English county town. ... This article is about the British television station. ... Quiz show redirects here. ... Countdown is a British game show presented by Des OConnor and Carol Vorderman. ...

A member of Mensa,^[1] Vorderman is known for her accomplished arithmetic skills, although critics note that she obtained a third class degree in Engineerin. She has used her fame for being 'good with numbers' to advertise a loan company.^[2][3] Mensa is the largest, oldest, and best-known high-IQ society in the world. ...

Biography

Vorderman was born in 1960, to a Dutch father and Welsh mother. Her parents broke up three weeks after her birth in Bedford.^[4][5] Vorderman attended the Roman Catholic comprehensive Blessed Edward Jones High School and refused to meet or have contact with estranged father until January 2002 when (according to the Daily Mail) she relented and the two were reconciled. She did not trace the Dutch side of her family until 2007, as part of the BBC genealogical programme Who Do You Think You Are?. It was only at this point that she discovered that her father had been an active member of the Dutch resistance during the Nazi occupation. Her father died whilst the programme was being filmed.^[6] This article is about the country. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ... Blessed Edward Jones RC High School, Cefndy Road, Rhyl, Denbighshire LL18 2EU, is a secondary school situated in Rhyl, Denbighshire. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Who Do You Think You Are? was a ten part television series shown on the UKs BBC2, in 2004, in which various celebrities go on a journey, in order to try and trace their family tree. ... Members of the Dutch Eindhoven Resistance with troops of the US 101st Airborne in front of the Eindhoven cathedral during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. ...

In 1978, she was accepted by Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge to read Engineering. She was a member of the "Nines Club" at Cambridge, so-named because members achieve a third in each of their three years of study (3+3+3=9). Her Countdown co-star Richard Whiteley coincidentally achieved the same class of degree at the same university. College name The College of the Lady Frances Sidney Sussex Motto Dieu me Garde de Calomnie (French: God preserve me from calumny) Founder Lady Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex Established 1596 Location Sidney Street Admittance Men and women Master Prof. ... This article is about the city in England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL (28 December 1943 — 26 June 2005) was an English television presenter and journalist. ...

After graduation, her mother's second marriage had broken down, and the family were back in financial difficulties. Vorderman found work as a graduate management trainee in Leeds, and was briefly a backing singer in the Leeds-based pop group Dawn Chorus and the Blue Tits, fronted by radio DJ Liz Kershaw during the early 1980s. They recorded hits such as a version of The Undertones' Teenage Kicks. Liz Kershaw (born 30 July 1958) is one of the UKs most high-profile female music broadcasters. ... The picture cover of The Undertones 1979 Youve Got My Number (Why Dont You Use It!) single The Undertones are a Northern Irish rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1975. ... Teenage Kicks is a song originally recorded by Northern Ireland new wave group the Undertones. ...

Career

Vorderman's mother noticed a newspaper advertisement asking for a woman with good mathematical skills to appear as co-host on a quiz show for the fledgling fourth terrestrial channel. Vorderman's mother duly submitted an application on behalf of her daughter ^[7].

At the age of 21, Vorderman made her name on Countdown first with Richard Whiteley from the show's inception in 1982 until Whiteley's death in June 2005. In October 2005, Desmond Lynam replaced Whiteley, and co-hosted with Vorderman. In January 2007, Des O'Connor replaced Lynam, and Vorderman continues to co-host the show. Vorderman was a new type of game show hostess, revealing her intellectual ability by carrying out fast and accurate arithmetical 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 £5 million per year.^[8][9] Countdown is a British game show presented by Des OConnor and Carol Vorderman. ... John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL (28 December 1943 — 26 June 2005) was an English television presenter and journalist. ... Desmond Lynam (born September 17, 1942 in Ennis, Ireland) is a sports presenter on British television and radio. ... Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (born January 12, 1932) is a veteran English television personality. ... GBP may be: short for Game Boy Player the ISO currency code for the British Pound Sterling. ...

Between 1987 and 1989 she co hosted the BBC TV series "Take Nobody's Word For It" with Professor Ian Fells; and was chosen to compère the world chess championship match between Gary Kasparov and Nigel Short in 1993. Vorderman has worked as a researcher and producer on many shows, specialising in science and educational programmes, and went on to present numerous 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. Months later, she asked to return to anchor the programme but was refused. For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Ian Fells 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. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Garry Kimovich Kasparov (Гарри Кимович Каспаров) (born April 13, 1963) is a chess grandmaster and the strongest chess player in the world. ... Nigel Short MBE (born June 1, 1965 in Leigh, Lancashire) is widely regarded as the strongest British chess player of the 20th century. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Tomorrows World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new (and often wacky) developments in the world of science and technology. ... Not to be confused with Aerial or Arial. ...

In 1999, having been offered a lucrative contract, Vorderman moved to ITV, going on to present 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, How 2 on CITV and the popular Better Homes, which began in 1999 and spawned a spin-off Better Gardens. She was awarded an MBE in June 2000 for services to broadcasting. Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... A television program (US), television programme (UK) or simply television show is a segment of programming in television broadcasting. ... This article is about ITVs childrens television brand. ...

Vorderman was a newspaper reviewer on the last episode of Breakfast with Frost. 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 the other celebrities in ITV's Gameshow Marathon, winning the series. Breakfast with Frost was a talk show hosted by Sir David Frost on the BBC on Sunday mornings. ... Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, shown on BBC One based on Ballroom and Latin dancing. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... Gameshow Marathon is a British game show, broadcasted from 2005 to present on ITV1. ...

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. 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 running since 1990. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Friday Night Project is a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 in February 2005. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Recently Vorderman has expanded her business empire launching a number of Sudoku 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. She has also appeared in a commercial for 'Farmfoods' in the UK, advertising 'Chippy Chips' for £1, and 'Cadbury's Cones' for 75p. British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB - formerly two companies, Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting, which merged) is a company that operates the most popular subscription television service in the Ireland. ... PS2 redirects here. ...

Writing career

Vorderman has had columns in newspapers The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mirror. She has written books on Detox diets. Her No 1 Bestseller was Detox For Life published by Virgin Books which sold over a million copies. She is also a self-described sudoku addict since April 2005 when she wrestled a book of the puzzles from her 12-year-old daughter Katie during a holiday in the Caribbean. Vorderman has written numerous books of sudoku puzzles with help on how to tackle them. She has sold millions of sudoku books worldwide in less than a year, with almost one million being sold in the UK alone. This article concerns the British newspaper. ... Alternate newspaper: The Daily Mirror (Australia) The Daily Mirror is a popular British tabloid daily newspaper. ... A detox diet is a dietary regimen involving a change in consumption habits in an attempt to detoxify the body by removal of toxins or other contaminants. ... This article is about the logic puzzle. ... West Indies redirects here. ...

Personal life

Vorderman was first married in 1985 ^[10] at age 24 to Chris Mather, a naval officer and former rugby league international player, but the marriage only lasted twelve months. Vorderman's second marriage was to management consultant Patrick King in 1990 ^[11] at age 29. With King she had two children, Katie and Cameron. She separated from King in 2000. This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... Rugby league football (usually shortened to rugby league, football, league) is a full-contact team sport played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ...

After meeting at a Christmas party in 1999, Vorderman and Daily Mail columnist and PR consultant Des Kelly lived together in London from 2001. The couple also used their house in Glandore, West Cork Ireland. After five years together, Vorderman and Kelly separated in December 2006, announcing the amicable split in January 2007.^[12] For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ... Des Kelly (born 1965) is a British journalist. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Glandore (Cuan Dor in Irish) is a world renowned beautiful village in the South-west of Ireland. ...

Charity work

Vorderman is the patron of 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 Carol won £60,000 for CLAPA. Generally, patronage is the act of supporting or favoring some person, group, or institution. ... 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. ... Look up cleft lip and palate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gameshow Marathon is a British game show, broadcasted from 2005 to present on ITV1. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting...

Controversies

Vorderman was criticised in the British press for "growing old disgracefully" after appearing in revealing dresses at several awards shows and other media events. She regularly tops polls for "Most Sexy" and "Most Popular". Her most recent accolade of this type was being voted "The Women Most British Men Want to Marry" by the largest ever online poll for www.match.com. In 2003, Vorderman commented harshly on fashion gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine, after they had called her an "overdone Eighties nightmare" and placed her in their list of the 20 worst-dressed celebrities. In 2004 she appeared in an erotic photoshoot for GQ magazine: in consequence, sales of the magazine rose by 24%. To add further to the criticism about "growing old disgracefully", recent images of Carol appear to show that she may have had plastic surgery and this has been reported in the press.^[13][8] Trinny Woodall (born Sarah-Jane Woodall[2] 1964 in London), is an award-winning English fashion guru, fashion and style advisor, television personality, presenter and author. ... Susannah Constantine, along with Trinny Woodall, is a host of the BBC style series What Not To Wear. ...

Vorderman has also been criticised in the press^[14] and by charities for her series of adverts to promote personal loans. Carol has appeared in several adverts over a number of years promoting consolidated loans for lender Firstplus leading to criticism that her profile may lead people who are unsuitable for such loans to consider them. ^[15] This has lead on an on-line petition from financial journalist Martin Lewis, who felt that Vorderman was seen by the general public as a credible figure because of her mathematical skill demonstrated in TV programmes such as Countdown. The petition was officially supported by the UK's two largest debt charities, Credit Action and the Consumer Credit Counselling Service. The petition had over 80,000^[16] signatures and newspapers reported that she threatened legal action to try to stop it. Joe Catto, a student at Endeavour High School, also is infatuated with Vorderman's physique.^[17] Martin Steven Lewis (born May 9, 1972 in Manchester, England) is a journalist, television presenter, website entrepreneur and author in the United Kingdom, who specialises in ways to save money. ... Credit Action is the UK national money education charity. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Videos and writing

• How Mathematics Works
• Carol Vorderman's Guide to the Internet
• Carol Vorderman's Guide to Maths
• Carol Vorderman's Pop Times Tables
• Carol Vorderman's Detox Diet
• Carol Vorderman's How To Do Sudoku, 2005
• Carol Vorderman's Massive Book Of Sudoku, 2005

References

, Prestatyn is a seaside resort in Denbighshire, North Wales, lying on the north coast. ... Approximate extent of North Wales North Wales (known in some archaic texts as Northgalis) is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Carol Vorderman at the Internet Movie Database