Carol Vorderman unveals brutal 'competitive' streak as she stars in new game show
Carol Vorderman, best known for her extraordinary maths skills, couldn't suppress her competitive side while participating in the show Celebrity Puzzling.
"At first, I thought I'd be very gracious and allow my fellow guests to answer the question so the world can see how clever they are," she says. "But after about half an hour, the genteel lady aspect went out of the window. I'm very competitive."
Series host Jeremy Vine was impressed by Carol's tactics, commenting, "During the final round, Memory Bank, Carol had a technique that I'm still trying to work out," and adding, "But the look of concentration she had - it was like Roger Federer, a laser!".
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In this new Channel 5 competition, with Jeremy at the helm, team captains Carol Vorderman and Sally Lindsay tackle brain-teasing challenges, joined each episode by a roster of celebrity brains ready to test their intellect.
The lineup kicks off with Gareth Malone and Ore Oduba, followed by stars such as Scarlett Moffatt, Stephen Bailey, Melvin Odoom, Miles Jupp, Dom Joly, and others determined to put their cognition to the test.
Host Jeremy admits he often felt tempted to jump into the action himself saying, "I didn't always have the answers," but recognises the restraint needed in his role.
"I quickly realised that, as the quiz master, you feel locked out. You can't shout the answer out. That's the price you pay for watching these competitors do battle."
Some guests on the show also took him by surprise. "I knew Shaun Williamson would be nervous about it," he commented, highlighting how different this was from Shaun's comfort zone. "It's not his usual territory. But I could see he knew stuff and was having a good time."
He found former England goalkeeper David James' approach to the challenges fascinating: "Sportspeople's brains just work differently. It was enjoyable to watch."
Every episode's six-round structure meant there was never a dull moment, yet Carol particularly struggled with one part: Cinema Cypher, where film titles were disguised as cryptic symbols.
Carol explained her difficulties with the game, "I found it hard because I had to go backwards," revealing her weakness when it comes to recalling movie titles.
"I'm absolutely rubbish with movie titles. I know The Godfather series, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars but I couldn't tell you what their names are, though I've probably seen all of those multiple times."
She got especially tripped up on School of Rock, despite the hints. "When the clue said it was a Jack Black film, I thought of all the movies I knew and tried to make them fit," she confessed, acknowledging that she might have been too forceful in her attempts.
Even though she stumbled, Carol relished the challenge, "That's the worst thing I did but I really enjoyed trying to work it out," she expressed.
Aside from the brain-teasers, for Carol, becoming a team captain brought unexpected joy. "I can't remember ever being a team captain before and I really enjoyed it."
TV legend Carol Vorderman spilled the beans on her recent game show experience, revealing she was starstruck by the knowledge of fellow contestants.
"This was interesting because I was with Scarlett Morfatt on one show and then Paul Sinha another show. In terms of general knowledge, that's vast - Paul is one of the top quizzers in the country!".
She also praised the show's format for playing to celebrity strengths. "The questions were totally geared to those celebs," Carol shared, "I didn't know pop bands but Scarlett did. It was brilliantly done."
Carol gushed about working with her close pal Sally Lindsay, adding a touch of personal warmth to the set. "Sally is just a joy," she beamed, "She's actually one of my best friends so it was a joy to be with her even though the way our brains work is different. We're both Northern, feisty women and we like a laugh. So I loved being in that studio."
Reflecting on her lifelong puzzle passion, Carol reminisced about her childhood hobbies. "I've always loved puzzles. When I was a child, I used to buy old maths books," she recalled.
Those books were her early challenges, as she raced against time with pencil in hand. "They were my puzzles. I would sit at home with my pencil and go against the clock. Chess is one of the big ones." Her enthusiasm for chess even led her to host a historic match in 1993 between chess giants Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short.
The event marked a milestone as the Kremlin's first commercial venture, a speed chess championship. Nowadays, Carol is an avid Sudoku enthusiast, finding joy in solving complex grids during her train journeys back to Bristol after filming.
Jeremy's bond with puzzles holds a special place in his heart. "My dad, who died about six years ago, was a big fan of Carol's," he shares, "He was a mathematician and he spent his life in higher education and he was obsessed with one thing which was aligning the prime numbers, only divisible by one.
He spent half a century with notepads trying to work it out. That's my memory of holidays - my dad sitting with a pad and a pencil, trying to work it out this living secret."
Celebrity Puzzling is fundamentally a show about human connections. Expect competitive spirits, fits of giggles and genuine matey vibes that make for utterly delightful viewing.
So fetch your favourite brew, plump up those pillows and get cosy - Celebrity Puzzling is the perfect chance to tune out the world and give your grey cells a workout.
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