Fan Nickname: Richard Whiteley used to be nicknamed "Twice Nightly" Whiteley by Yorkshire Television viewers- whether or not any Double Entendre was intended, it was due to the fact he also used to present the local news programme Calendar as well as the game show within the same evening.
On the internet, Sean's "That's a challenging wank" quip has become a popular response to Fan Disservice.
Mis-blamed: Did you see that video / image with the word Cuntflaps on the board? Well, that didn't actually happen; it was a photoshopped hoax.note (You can see it in the video where one letter moves around a bit, and there have to be at least three vowels in the selection.) Even if that did happen, the second the word cunt showed up, someone would have come out and changed it.
Questionable Casting: To say that Nick Hewer was a surprising choice for host would be a spectacular understatement.
The Scrappy: Anne Robinson (known for being the no-nonsense host of The Weakest Link) took over the show after Nick Hewer's departure from the role. Not only did she prove herself unpopular with viewers, some of whom felt she projected an air of unfriendliness towards contestants, but there were also rumours of a feud between herself and Rachel Riley (never confirmed, although Robinson did state in an interview that she and Rachel did not get along). After just a year, she left the role with no warning or fanfare initially claiming that she hadn't intended to stay long term before then stating she had left over a pay dispute. Either way, very few were sorry to see her go.
And then the landlord shows him out. The child inside is crying out. "I was not meant for such sweet sorrow" But opts instead for "See you tomorrow." Thou stout-soaked, cig-stained feckless soul Is what for, not whom, that bell did toll.
Sean Lock's passing in 2021 lead to an outpouring of tributes, including from Jimmy, Susie, Rachel, and several fellow comics who also appeared as panelists on the show.
They Changed It, Now It Sucks!: Rachel Riley. Des Lynam to a lesser extent; he had a pretty difficult act to follow in Richard Whiteley, but it didn't help that he often came across as somewhat grumpy.
Series 31 saw the show get a makeover with a new set, new opening titles, a new theme song... and new clock music, which gave out three dramatic notes during the thirty seconds. This led to many complaints that the 'extra intensity' music was nothing but distracting, and the new tune was pulled after just twelve episodes and replaced with the classic, proving that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: Little Alex Horne on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. He's the only guest comedian to appear on both the spinoff and as a contestant on regular Countdown, and even made it to the finals, earning the 7th seed! However, he wasn’t brought on as a contestant on the comedy-focused spinoff, (only as the occasional musical guest relegated to Dictionary Corner) despite the fact that he could be a legitimate challenge to Jon Richardson.
Values Dissonance: One might perhaps observe this in the roles of the hostesses over the programme's history from supporting role to essentially fully-fledged co-presenter. None there just to stand around putting up the letters and numbers anymore, and even Carol Vorderman's original role checking the numbers was given the nickname "vital statistician" back in '82 (which might sound a wee bit sexist now!) Arguably subverted by the attention Rachel Riley gets due to her looks, mind you, but that's perhaps the audience's fault...
became this after his own passing and many people struggled to come up with obituaries for him."You can't write tears, Jimmy."