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On the 25th anniversary of Channel 4, Carol spoke to us about life on the show, learning how to change clothes quickly and being a sex symbol...
Continued from part one
You have a lot of fansites devoted to you, we'd have to say you're a bit of a sex symbol. How does that make you feel?
Well very flattered at my age... and eternally grateful, ha ha!
Well very flattered at my age... and eternally grateful, ha ha!
What's your secret for looking so good?
Oh go on with you! Well, I put on a lot of weight after I had a baby and it made me think about how I looked after myself. I just tried really hard dieting - not that I don't put on half stone every now and then, but it was a change of attitude.
Oh go on with you! Well, I put on a lot of weight after I had a baby and it made me think about how I looked after myself. I just tried really hard dieting - not that I don't put on half stone every now and then, but it was a change of attitude.
The pictures of you have changed over the years - we've got some great ones of you in... erm, 'interesting' outfits in the 1980s.
Oh no which ones? It was all very fashionable at the time I'll have you know! Well apart from the one with the dickie bow tie which is truly awful. You're not going to put them up are you, oh I bet you are.
Oh no which ones? It was all very fashionable at the time I'll have you know! Well apart from the one with the dickie bow tie which is truly awful. You're not going to put them up are you, oh I bet you are.
No, no of course not.
Coming Soon - Carol's outfits picture gallery.
Coming Soon - Carol's outfits picture gallery.
Is it true that in the eighties you were briefly a backing singer for a band called 'Dawn Chorus And The Blue Tits', fronted by the DJ Liz Kershaw? A band that had a hit with a cover of The Undertones 'Teenage Kicks' no less?
Ha ha, yes that is true but I didn't stay with the group when they had their hits, I was gone by then. It was just to lark about but I never did a gig or anything. In fact I'm sure the public would be quite relieved I never did.
Ha ha, yes that is true but I didn't stay with the group when they had their hits, I was gone by then. It was just to lark about but I never did a gig or anything. In fact I'm sure the public would be quite relieved I never did.
What's the best rumour you've ever heard about yourself?
Oh I've heard all sorts. The amount of love children I've supposed to have had always amazes me. It's a surprise to me as they're all with people I've never met. I don't even know how I'd have had the time to pull it off to be honest.
Oh I've heard all sorts. The amount of love children I've supposed to have had always amazes me. It's a surprise to me as they're all with people I've never met. I don't even know how I'd have had the time to pull it off to be honest.
What with setting up your Sudoku empire as well?
It's all done surprisingly well really and the knock effect of things like games being global has meant it's been very successful.
It's all done surprisingly well really and the knock effect of things like games being global has meant it's been very successful.
Keeps you in fashionable dickie bow ties. How did you discover Sudoku?
I went with my family on holiday and my daughter had this book of puzzles which I started reading and became completely obsessed with it. Well after that I couldn't put these books down so when I got back from holiday I phoned my manager and said I wanted to get involved in publishing these books and luckily the whole craze just took off.
I went with my family on holiday and my daughter had this book of puzzles which I started reading and became completely obsessed with it. Well after that I couldn't put these books down so when I got back from holiday I phoned my manager and said I wanted to get involved in publishing these books and luckily the whole craze just took off.
What's coming up next for you, any projects you can tell us about?
There are two telly things I'm doing in the New Year but I can't tell you about them now. I'll still be doing Countdown though of course with the lovely Des.
There are two telly things I'm doing in the New Year but I can't tell you about them now. I'll still be doing Countdown though of course with the lovely Des.
Will Des be singing at any point?
Oh no, I'd put a stop to that. He's a lovely person and a real pro but you'd have to stop him wouldn't you!
Oh no, I'd put a stop to that. He's a lovely person and a real pro but you'd have to stop him wouldn't you!
Even if he offered you a role performing backing vocals?
Could you imagine - he could be Dawn Chorus I suppose!
Could you imagine - he could be Dawn Chorus I suppose!
As well as celebrating 25 years on Channel 4, Countdown will be celebrating its 4,500th show on December 12 2007. It airs Monday to Friday at 15.25.
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