Resident mathematician and letter-selector on the daytime TV institution Countdown, and its irreverent spin-off 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Rachel has also co-hosted programmes from The Gadget Show to Sky Sport’s Friday Night Football to a Dispatches edition examining how maths is taught in schools.


Biography

Rachel Riley is the resident mathematician and letter-selector on Countdown, and its irreverent spin-off 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Aside from the words-and-sums quiz shows Rachel has co-hosted The Gadget Show and It’s Not Rocket Science. A keen football fan, she also co-hosted Sky Sports’ Friday Night Football for a season and has appeared on Football Focus.

Rachel joined the daytime TV institution at just 22, after studying mathematics at Oxford and a brief spell analysing statistics for a price comparison company. She replaced the long-standing co-host Carol Vorderman after beating 1,000 other hopefuls to the role. As well as the more serious version of Channel 4’s longest-running show, Rachel is also a key part of the comedy version, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, frequently the foil (and equal) to Jimmy Carr’s barbed comments.

In addition to her regular appearances Rachel has also cropped up on Room 101, Top Gear, Would I Lie To You, and Celebrity Mastermind. She played herself in a cameo in Channel 4’s comedy The IT Crowd, and has been a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.

A keen advocate of encouraging children to study maths and science, Rachel presented an edition of the current affairs series Dispatches, Kids Don’t Count, examining the increase in school children struggling with maths. She is also a part of the Premier League Primary Stars programme aimed at helping 5-to-15-year-olds achieve on and off the sports field.

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JLA Presents

Risk Speakers Breakfast event image.
Event - 17/09/2024 - 09:00

Speakers Breakfast

Navigating Risk and Chaos – Strategies For Coping With An Uncertain World.

Speakers
Clive Myrie, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, Rt Hon Lord Parker of Minsmere, and Robin Niblett

On Tuesday 17th September we had the pleasure of hearing from a remarkable panel of speakers, who shared their expertise on the challenges of managing Risk in a chaotic world.

The panel featured esteemed speakers, Dr. Sabrina Cohen-Hatton KFSM (Firefigter and Neuroscience researcher), Lord Parker of Minsmere (Andrew Parker, Former Director General of MI5), and Sir Robin Niblett (Former Director and Chief Executive of Chatham House). The event was hosted superbly by Mastermind and BBC News presenter Clive Myrie.

Over the hour, our panellists explored Risk on multiple levels, from global affairs to business environments and personal everyday challenges. They provided valuable insights into how we can better manage and mitigate Risk in today’s unpredictable world.

 

Location

87 Barts Close, 87 Bartholomew Close, London, EC1A 7EB

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AI Speakers Breakfast event image.
Event - 30/04/2024 - 09:00:00

Speakers Breakfast

Understanding AI Now

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Priya Lakhani and Anne-Marie Imafidon

We were joined at 87 Barts Close by three brilliant speakers on a panel that delved into the complex world of Artificial Intelligence. Over the hour our panellists de-mystified AI, speaking about AI’s immense promise for enhancing our lives, alongside the apprehension it has generated regarding job security, privacy infringement, and ethical considerations.

Location

87 Barts Close, 87 Bartholomew Close, London, EC1A 7EB

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