Countdown presenter Richard Whiteley dies

RICHARD WHITELEY, the much-loved presenter of Channel 4’s Countdown, has died, Carol Vorderman’s agent said last night.

The 61-year-old, known for his loud ties and stripy jackets as much as for his homely manner on screen, had been suffering for some time with pneumonia.

He was rushed to intensive care in Bradford, West Yorkshire, in mid-May.