Richard Whiteley

John Richard Whiteley, OBE , DL (28 December 1943 – 26 June 2005) was a British television presenter and journalist. He was most famous for his 23-year stint as presenter of Countdown, a letters and numbers arrangement game show broadcast daily on Channel 4. An edition of Countdown was the launch programme for Channel 4 at 4:45pm on 2 November 1982, and Whiteley was the first person to be seen on the channel. His trademarks were his jolly, avuncular manner; his gift for bad puns; and bold wardrobe (particularly jackets and ties).

References

• "Whiteley gets an OBE in honours". (BBC News, 12 June 2004).
• "Presenter Richard Whiteley dies". (BBC News, 26 June 2005).
• Obituaries
• "Obituary: Richard Whiteley". (BBC News, 26 June 2005).
• "Richard Whiteley: I bet they'll report 'Ferret Man Dies'". (Yorkshire Post, 27 June 2005).
• "Richard Whiteley" (Daily Telegraph, 28 June 2005)
• "Richard Whiteley" (The Times, 28 June 2005)
• "Richard Whiteley" (The Independent, 28 June 2005)