Countdown fans fumed today (Friday December 3) when the iconic words and numbers quiz was taken off-air by Channel 4 at “the last minute”.
The show is normally on in the afternoons every weekday.
But not today, and viewers weren’t happy about it.
What happened to Countdown on Channel 4 today?
The show, which has been a Channel 4 staple since 1982, features host Anne Robinson as well as Rachel Riley and Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner.
However, viewers settling down for their afternoon cup of tea got a shock when their favourite afternoon show didn’t appear.
Read more: Rachel Riley addresses ‘feud’ with Countdown co-star Anne Robinson
It’s usually on at 2.10pm, but today Find It, Fix It, Flog It took its place.
The show features Henry Cole and Simon O’Brien helping people turn unwanted items into cash.
Location, Location, Location followed on at 3pm.
ED! contacted Channel 4 for comment.
It told us: “We’ve experienced temporary technical issues related to the new operating process that was put in place after the outage.
“We are working to rectify it as quickly as possible but can confirm that the peak schedule is unaffected.”
@Channel4 what's happened to #Countdown? It's not on & I have a very irate autistic person driving me nuts!
— Robert Weaver (@Wingman1882) December 3, 2021
@C4Countdown Why aren't you on at the moment? The TV guide says you're on but it's some Flog It show or something……. #Countdown
— WAYNE ANDREWS (@WayneTreasury) December 3, 2021
https://twitter.com/JoJo19528887/status/1466774119186325506
No @C4Countdown today – and yesterday's is still not on @All4. What's going on? #countdown @Channel4
— Nigel Rollings (@NigelRollings) December 3, 2021
How did viewers react to Countdown’s no-show?
It wasn’t long until viewers took to Twitter to ask what was going on.
One asked: “@Channel4 what’s happened to #Countdown? It’s not on & I have a very irate autistic person driving me nuts!”
Another asked the same question: “@C4Countdown Why aren’t you on at the moment?
“The TV guide says you’re on but it’s some Flog It show or something… #Countdown”
A third added: “@Channel4 why have you not put #countdown on? TV just said, ‘in a change to current listings’ that don’t say where today’s episode has gone…”
Finally, one viewer wrote: “No @C4Countdown today – and yesterday’s is still not on @All4.
“What’s going on? #countdown @Channel4.”
Another blow to Countdown
The news that the show is off the air is another blow to Countdown after rumours of a rift between host Anne and Rachel persist.
In the past week Anne broke her silence on the rumours.
Read more: Countdown host Anne Robinson finally addresses those Rachel Riley feud rumours
She said: “[Rachel and Susie are] brilliant – both of them actually,” she said in an interview.
And asked whether she’s “bitchy”, Anne replied: “I hope I’m always described as difficult, awkward, tricky, impatient, menopausal, any sort of pejorative, grumpy.”
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