Author’s note: A silly article from the News in Brief section taking the mickey out of one of our favourite subjects, alongside Ken Livingstone, Countdown.
Picketing continued outside the Countdown studios at Channel 4 today. Standing around a flaming brazier of colourful ties, books from dictionary corner and Richard Stilgoe’s beard, Richard Whitley lead the chant of “What do we want? Four consonants and three vowels. When do we want it? Now!” Whitely continued to insist that his demands for a “greatly extended alphabet, several new numbers and a lovely sparkly outfit like Carol’s” were completely reasonable and were well within the gift of Channel 4. However, attempts to staff the programme with what Whitely referred to as “scab labour” continued with Gyles Brandreth receiving “emergency pun training” and Anne Diamond taking a speed learning course in advanced mathematics and “weapons grade vodka drinking”
Sex and Drugs and Growing Old 