Countdown's Susie Dent bids farewell as she shares 'sadness' over sudden show departure

On her podcast Something Rhymes With Purple she co-hosts with This Morning star Gyles Brandreth, Susie revealed the show was undergoing a departure from its current format.

The Countdown host shared her sadness at saying "goodbye to the podcast in four episodes time".

Susie shared: "It makes us both sad and excited. There will be new things to come, but we will keep the wonderful Purple People community posted about where we are going next and what we are going to do.

"It's not the end, but in this form, it is," she finished.

On the podcast, the hosts invite their listeners to enhance their vocabulary, uncover the hidden origins of language and share their love of words.

Speaking on the podcast that has been running for five years, Giles and Susie previously shared what is "underappreciated" about the show.

Gyles told London Theatre Direct: "It’s genuinely improvised. Susie really does know all this amazing stuff about words and language. It’s all there in her incredible head.

Susie added: "I'm not sure about underappreciated but the marvel of every show for me is how bottomless Gyles's reservoir of anecdotes is.

"There seems to be no one he hasn't met and no theatre whose boards he hasn't trodden. His really has been a remarkable life. I'd also like to give a nod to Kathy Klugston's marvellous Purple Shipping Forecast that kicks off the show."

Susie may be momentarily stepping back from the podcast but is keeping busy with new projects. She recently announced her upcoming debut book, “Guilty By Definition”, which is set to be released soon.

She expressed her excitement and nervousness about the news and shared a link for pre-ordering the book.

She wrote: "This is very happyfying. And also a little terrifying", while also sharing a link to pre-order a copy.

The original post, shared by publisher Zaffre Books, read: "Introducing the debut novel from Countdown’s @SusieDent… #GuiltyByDefinition.

"Can you solve the mystery of the year? Pre-order a signed copy of this unmissable story from @Waterstones now: https://geni.us/GuiltySigned."

The book's description reads: "When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, it puzzles the team of lexicographers working there.

"It soon becomes clear that this is not the usual eccentric enquiry. The letter hints at secrets, lies, and a particular year.

"For Martha Thornhill, the new Senior Editor, the date can mean only one thing: the summer her brilliant, beautiful older sister Charlie went missing.

"After a decade spent living abroad, Martha has returned to her father, her home, and the city whose institutions have defined her family.

"But the ghosts she had thought to be at rest seem to have been waiting for her to return."