Image courtesy of BBC
Rachel Riley
Countdown Presenter
Age: 27.
Professional partner: Pasha Kovalev.
Bookies original odds: 5 to 1.
I’ve never had a spray tan so that would be interesting because I’m trying to get away from the whole Essex Girl stereotype
Rachel studied mathematics at Oxford University before being plucked from obscurity to replace Carol Vordeman on Countdown in 2009. Whilst Rachel had no experience of presenting she was fascinated by numbers and remarked when she landed the job “there’s only one cool maths job around and I was lucky enough to get it so I’m absolutely thrilled”.
Since then she has gone on to present The Gadget Show.
Rachel hails from Rochford in Essex and has been installed as joint favorite to win Strictly despite having little background in dance; learning a dance for her wedding day, is her most notable experience of dancing in public. Clearly the bookies know something that Rachel does not, as she claims she once fell over when standing still on a hockey pitch.
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