Countdown’s Anne Robinson has made headlines this week after announcing her forthcoming departure from the Channel 4 daytime show. The 77-year-old has hosted the popular brain-teaser programme for just a year and is the first woman to do so. Viewers will be able to see her on screen until the summer.
A former journalist, Robinson is no stranger to fronting quiz shows having famously hosted The Weakest Link, which originally ran from 2000 until 2012 when she became known for her trademark-style of delivering cutting remarks to contestants.
And it was during this time that she took a swipe at the Welsh when she appeared on BBC show, Room 101, the BBC comedy when celebrities were invited to discuss their pet hates. Here we recall how the Queen of Mean’s vicious comments angered an entire nation.
READ MORE: Countdown presenter Anne Robinson's life, love life, and net worth
What happened when Anne Robinson appeared on Room 101?
Anne Robinson appeared on Room 101 right the way back in 2001 when she was at the height of her fame with The Weakest Link dominating the quiz-show ratings. The presenter, who has also hosted BBC's Points of View and Watchdog, stated that she would like to banish "the Welsh" into oblivion. Her reason, we hear you ask? She said: “I’ve never taken to them. What are they for?”
Rubbing salt into the wounds, she added: “We used to go on holiday to Wales and they all used to speak Welsh there… I’ve grown to dislike them more and more.”
Unsurprisingly, the comments were hit with a huge number of complaints with people claiming the presenter was racist. Her branding of the Welsh as “irritating” and “annoying” was, ultimately, cleared by Ofcom. This news came with backlash from the Welsh civil rights group, Cefn who called it a “whitewash”.
Her dislike of the Welsh was later fuelled by a fully Welsh edition of The Weakest Link later that year. You can read more about that here. During the Welsh edition of The Weakest Link, Robinson continued to make Welsh jibes, quipping: “Who’s several choruses short of an Eisteddfod?” and “Who’s not the brightest daffodil in the bunch?”
At the time, her comments were fought by contestants Darren and Alun who made fun of Anne’s appearance. Darren (at the time) said to Anne: "At least I don't look like something out of Space 1999." Robinson's hatred of the Welsh is certainly an alien concept to us...
Could a Welshman replace Anne Robinson on Countdown?
Karma could be on the horizon for Anne Robinson as following her announcement that she's leaving Countdown, Twitter users have expressed their wish for a Welshman to take over. TV Critic Scott Bryan took to Twitter to suggest that weatherman and Freeze the Fear contestant Owain Wyn Evans should replace her as host.
Commenting on the suggestion, @AndyJamesMichel wrote: “Actually love this!”
Could Owain be the answer to the Anne Robinson’s replacement? We think so. And all that’s left to say is:
Anne, you are the Weakest Link… Hwyl fawr!
