Annoying things Carol does

dan j · Post by **dan j** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:47 pm

1. When the letters are picked, I hate how she puts her hand over the consonant or vowel section, pressuring the player into picking the type of letter SHE wants.

2. When she presses the little button for the numbers game, you can see her already trying to work out a solution before she reads the number out to everyone.

3. That annoying fake laugh.

4. The total smugness after the solving of a numbers game. I bet if she had a glass of water she would be sipping away at it in delight just like Kai does.

5. Her dislike for the letter Z.

6. When a word like "you" or "pen" appears on the letters board, she will laugh histerically.

7. When a Q is on the board and a U comes up she always tells the player you can use the Q and U together.

Ben Wilson · Post by **Ben Wilson** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:52 pm

dan j wrote:1. When the letters are picked, I hate how she puts her hand over the consonant or vowel section, pressuring the player into picking the type of letter SHE wants.

I always used to subvert this by watching where Carol put her hand and choosing from the other box.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:00 pm

8. Doesn't show enough cleavage

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:15 pm

dan j wrote:5. Her dislike for the letter Z.

She dislikes Q, X and Z I believe. It does annoy me when people say "and a better one" when they come out.

Ben Hunter · Post by **Ben Hunter** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:26 pm

Joseph Bolas wrote:
dan j wrote:5. Her dislike for the letter Z.
She dislikes Q, X and Z I believe. It does annoy me when people say "and a better one" when they come out.

I want to go on Countdown and always say "and a better one" when I actually mean "and another" to piss everyone off.

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:42 pm

Ben Hunter wrote:
Joseph Bolas wrote:
dan j wrote:5. Her dislike for the letter Z.
She dislikes Q, X and Z I believe. It does annoy me when people say "and a better one" when they come out.
I want to go on Countdown and always say "and a better one" when I actually mean "and another" to piss everyone off.

That would definitely piss people off

What you could also do, is say "please" for every letter you pick. I believe there is a sort of rule that says just to really say "please" when picking the first and last letter, but not sure of that.

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:44 pm

Dan, I don't know who you are and you never bothered to introduce yourself but, well...

Ralph Gillions · Post by **Ralph Gillions** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:56 pm

Hair tossing, every time she turns towards the board.
Oh..and when a contestant may have picked a couple of consonants, say, and then says "another one",
and Carol responds with "Another consonant?"
But it's the hair tossing that annoys me most.

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:58 pm

The laboured and overlong introductions to the DC guest, which she sort of knows off by heart, but not quite, meaning that she has to keep pausing mid-sentence to look at her cue card.

JasonCullen · Post by **JasonCullen** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 5:04 pm

When she pretends to look interested during Susie's origin of words!

steve D · Post by **steve D** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 5:55 pm

Nothing to me because Carol is so gorgeous anyway so I not bothered

Howard Somerset · Post by **Howard Somerset** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:17 pm

I know I've said this before, but this is probably a more appropriate place...

When she says "That's a nice one" when a particularly easy numbers game comes up. It's not a nice one. Carol's nice numbers game is one in which both contestants have a good chance of getting 10 points. The aim is to beat the other contestant, not to equal him/her. So a nice numbers game is one which is challenging enough to make the other contestant struggle.

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:32 pm

steve D wrote:Nothing to me because Carol is so gorgeous anyway so I not bothered

They say, every rose has its thorn

You will probably find one thing annoying about her.

dan j · Post by **dan j** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:42 pm

Yeah Howard, that's another one. Puts pressure on players to get it.

dan j · Post by **dan j** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:45 pm

Jason Larsen wrote:Dan, I don't know who you are and you never bothered to introduce yourself but, well...

Craig Beevers' #1 fan.

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:47 pm

Howard Somerset wrote:I know I've said this before, but this is probably a more appropriate place...

When she says "That's a nice one" when a particularly easy numbers game comes up. It's not a nice one. Carol's nice numbers game is one in which both contestants have a good chance of getting 10 points. The aim is to beat the other contestant, not to equal him/her. So a nice numbers game is one which is challenging enough to make the other contestant struggle.

I hate it too, but more generally when she expresses preferences at all. It would probably be OK occasionally, but we've never been in a position to see it.

Also what annoys me is that her head gets in the way when she puts the numbers up. It used not to happen so I don't know why it does now. Presumably it's not mainly her fault as someone on the production team should get her to stand in a more appropriate place/change the lay-out in some way. It does seem rather amateur. I know Damian will take this as a dig at him, but I would have posted the same regardless of whether I knew who the producer was.

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:48 pm

Jason Larsen wrote:Dan, I don't know who you are and you never bothered to introduce yourself but, well...

Harsh!

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 9:45 pm

I'm not saying how I actually feel like that but Dan, if you say you are Craig Beevers' #1 fan, are you having dreams about Craig Charles being named the new host of Countdown?

dan j · Post by **dan j** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 9:53 pm

I'd love to see craig beevers naked.

Matthew Green · Post by **Matthew Green** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:04 pm

-When she stands in front of the last number as she announces the target, depriving the viewer of a full view of the selection for approximately 1.6 seconds.

-When she is still trying to work out the numbers in her head and barely listens to the person announcing their method.

-The disingenuous laughs at crap jokes sent in for Deso to read.

Michael Wallace · Post by **Michael Wallace** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:08 pm

Matthew Green wrote:-When she stands in front of the last number as she announces the target, depriving the viewer of a full view of the selection for approximately 1.6 seconds.

That just makes it sound like you sit there with a stopwatch.

Which gives me a thought for a new Countdown challenge - can you solve the numbers game *and* ejaculate within the time?

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:11 pm

The only time Carol has annoyed me is when she has said that Scousers can't pronounce the word Sudoku correctly.

How many games are left in this series by the way?

Michael Wallace · Post by **Michael Wallace** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:20 pm

Joseph Bolas wrote:The only time Carol has annoyed me is when she has said that Scousers can't pronounce the word Sudoku correctly.

In my experience, virtually *no-one* seems able to pronounce it correctly.

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:15 pm

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:26 pm

Michael Wallace wrote:
Joseph Bolas wrote:The only time Carol has annoyed me is when she has said that Scousers can't pronounce the word Sudoku correctly.
In my experience, virtually *no-one* seems able to pronounce it correctly.

Well Carol only said that it was Scousers who couldn't pronounce it

John Douglas · Post by **John Douglas** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:41 am

She frequently doesn't write out the sum in the way the contestant describes it.

She also often leaves out bits of information like equal marks; sometimes she writes the final sum, sometimes not; sometimes she writes out brackets and other times not; in fact she is inconsistent. This is not clever, it's sloppy IMO! If you compare the way she does it now with the very careful and meticulous way she did it when she first started you will notice the difference!

dan j · Post by **dan j** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:46 am

She supports man u too.

John Douglas · Post by **John Douglas** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:14 am

I think it was Jan Ravens that once did a brilliant send-up of Carol laughing like a hyena bent double at everything that Richard Whiteley said - and not laughing at much better jokes from anyone else in the studio.

Gary Male · Post by **Gary Male** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:28 am

She sometimes doesn't appear during an ad break to offer me a chance to pay off all my debts in one consolidated loan. That worries me that credit might not be as freely available as before, and we could be heading for what one might call a "credit crunch" so for that she really annoys me.

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 3:37 am

Dan...

David Williams · Post by **David Williams** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:36 am

Carol essentially has a mundane role where she has done the same task many thousands of times. She somehow contrives to do it so well that she has made herself a star by doing it. Even when she's laughing too loud at some duff celebrity you know it's because her only thought is to make every episode of Countdown the best she possibly can. I've never seen her have an off-day.

The ultimate professional. How annoying is that?

David

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:03 am

David Williams wrote:Carol essentially has a mundane role where she has done the same task many thousands of times. She somehow contrives to do it so well that she has made herself a star by doing it. Even when she's laughing too loud at some duff celebrity you know it's because her only thought is to make every episode of Countdown the best she possibly can. I've never seen her have an off-day.

The ultimate professional. How annoying is that?

David

I agree wholeheartedly David. This is why this thread pisses me off. Fair enough if you don't like Carol, but to pick on tiny little characteristics like these and make what actually reads as a pretty spiteful thread about it stinks. There's a few little things Carol does which peeve me (such as helping with maths formula, pointing out words while the letters are being chosen) but this is more than outweighed by what she does bring to the show, which is immense.

WTF would the new host/ess think if they were reading this? Do you just want them to stand there robotically dealing cards (a la Play Your Cards Right), or bring a little personality to it?

(To new hostess if you are reading this, ignore these cunts)

Chris Corby · Post by **Chris Corby** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:24 am

I have just heard that Carol has read this thread and is so distressed she has quit the show after 25 years. She will only be on a handful of shows in the future, all of which have been pre-recorded.
So I hope you lot are happy.

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:27 pm

John Douglas wrote:I rhink it was Jan Ravens that once did a brilliant send-up of Carol laughing like a hyena bent double at everything that Richard Whiteley said - and not laughing at much better jokes from anyone else in the studio.

Yeah, I remember that. She hasn't been invited back to DC since then, have you noticed?

OT I know, but the above puts me in mind of my favourite inflammatory remark made by a DC guest, directed not at a host but at a contestant. It was a few months ago when one of the contestants was some retired RAF chap who'd flown aircraft with the Queen's Flight (or something). At the end of the show Des asked him who was his favourite passenger. With no discernible trace of irony, the guy said something like, "Oh, Margaret Thatcher without a doubt. She was absolutely delightful." At which point Jo Brand muttered darkly from DC: "Good job it wasn't me - I'd have pushed the eject button", thereby making up at a stroke for years of right-wing claptrap from the likes of Brandreth, Widdecombe, Ingham etc.

dan j · Post by **dan j** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:52 pm

Yeah, Carol is total shit, I'm glad she is leaving. Lisa Rogers to replace her!

Lara Searle · Post by **Lara Searle** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:09 pm

Jon Corby wrote:
David Williams wrote:Carol essentially has a mundane role where she has done the same task many thousands of times. She somehow contrives to do it so well that she has made herself a star by doing it. Even when she's laughing too loud at some duff celebrity you know it's because her only thought is to make every episode of Countdown the best she possibly can. I've never seen her have an off-day.

The ultimate professional. How annoying is that?

David
I agree wholeheartedly David. This is why this thread pisses me off. Fair enough if you don't like Carol, but to pick on tiny little characteristics like these and make what actually reads as a pretty spiteful thread about it stinks. There's a few little things Carol does which peeve me (such as helping with maths formula, pointing out words while the letters are being chosen) but this is more than outweighed by what she does bring to the show, which is immense.

WTF would the new host/ess think if they were reading this? Do you just want them to stand there robotically dealing cards (a la Play Your Cards Right), or bring a little personality to it?

(To new hostess if you are reading this, ignore these cunts)

Here, here. Stop being mean. Interesting that some of the people now slagging her off are the people who were fawning all over her when they met her.

Debbi Flack · Post by **Debbi Flack** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:18 pm

I think she's done a fabulous job, and will be sorry to see her go. She will certainly be a tough act to follow, but I'm sure the producers will have chosen wisely when looking for her replacement. I'm looking forward the 'unveiling' of the new show.

David O'Donnell · Post by **David O'Donnell** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:37 pm

One thing I liked about Carol was that she was still really ultra competitive about the numbers. I thought it endearingly nerdy when she revealed yesterday that she keeps a record of all her results on the numbers and the contestants' results. I am not a fan of the hollow laugh but that's television and there is really no need to be naive about the whole thing. My mum and aunt thought she was absolutely lovely when talking to her afterwards but that may have been helped by the fact that Carol mentioned them on national television.

Damian E · Post by **Damian E** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:24 pm

What a weird thread.

David O'Donnell · Post by **David O'Donnell** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:29 pm

Damian E wrote:What a weird thread.

Relatively speaking it's fairly normal.

Damian E · Post by **Damian E** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:34 pm

Who's relatives?

Damian E · Post by **Damian E** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:37 pm

DebbiF wrote:I think she's done a fabulous job, and will be sorry to see her go. She will certainly be a tough act to follow, but I'm sure the producers will have chosen wisely when looking for her replacement. I'm looking forward the 'unveiling' of the new show.

Well said.

The 'unveiling' will no doubt be dissected and ripped to pieces on here before we've even put out the first show. Am sure Gevin will have an opinion or forty on everything. I can't wait to read it all. Oh, in fact i can wait. Forever.

And ever.

And ever.

Damian E · Post by **Damian E** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:39 pm

Oh, and has anyone noticed that the avatars of Lara Searle and dan j are strikingly similar?

I was going to type something about the I P address, but i've never worn one and i'm not incontinent.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:41 pm

Damian E wrote:The 'unveiling'

I'm really excited about this. REALLY excited. Far more so than the main host.

David O'Donnell · Post by **David O'Donnell** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:55 pm

Jon Corby wrote:
Damian E wrote:The 'unveiling'
I'm really excited about this. REALLY excited. Far more so than the main host.

I am reliably informed that there is every reason to be excited.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:58 pm

David O'Donnell wrote:I am reliably informed that there is every reason to be excited.

Now I'm really really excited. Really REALLY excited!

Oh god, I'm ... just... so ... excited!

Now.... not so excited.

Now feeling slightly ashamed.

Now a little numb.

David O'Donnell · Post by **David O'Donnell** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 3:07 pm

Jon Corby wrote:
David O'Donnell wrote:I am reliably informed that there is every reason to be excited.
Now I'm really really excited. Really REALLY excited!

Oh god, I'm ... just... so ... excited!

Now.... not so excited.

Now feeling slightly ashamed.

Now a little numb.

Allan Harmer · Post by **Allan Harmer** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 4:15 pm

Joseph Bolas wrote:
dan j wrote:5. Her dislike for the letter Z.
She dislikes Q, X and Z I believe.

But S + M always seem to bring a smile to her face

Jason Larsen · Post by **Jason Larsen** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:50 pm

Some of you have points, but some of you don't. I just don't understand!

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 1:51 pm

Jon Corby wrote:
David Williams wrote:Carol essentially has a mundane role where she has done the same task many thousands of times. She somehow contrives to do it so well that she has made herself a star by doing it. Even when she's laughing too loud at some duff celebrity you know it's because her only thought is to make every episode of Countdown the best she possibly can. I've never seen her have an off-day.

The ultimate professional. How annoying is that?

David
I agree wholeheartedly David. This is why this thread pisses me off. Fair enough if you don't like Carol, but to pick on tiny little characteristics like these and make what actually reads as a pretty spiteful thread about it stinks. There's a few little things Carol does which peeve me (such as helping with maths formula, pointing out words while the letters are being chosen) but this is more than outweighed by what she does bring to the show, which is immense.

WTF would the new host/ess think if they were reading this? Do you just want them to stand there robotically dealing cards (a la Play Your Cards Right), or bring a little personality to it?

(To new hostess if you are reading this, ignore these cunts)

Some people find certain people annyoing, some don't. There's plenty of threads slagging off the guests and I think Carol, as a major celebrity, is at least as fair game as they are. It's not just that Carol brings personality, as opposed to robotically dealing cards, but that some simply don't like that particular personality. I find her annoying; you two don't. That's just the way it is.

Lesley Jeavons · Post by **Lesley Jeavons** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 2:17 pm

I don't get too annoyed by many things or people, and Carol doesn't annoy me at all. But, I have to say the list mentioned above is hysterical - I'm aware that she does these things, and I just find them cute and funny rather than off-putting. Like yesterday, when the 'M' and 'F' came out, I, like her, was excited when the 'I' came out. I never cease to be excited by a little word or acronym. Simple things...

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 5:53 pm

Lesley Jeavons wrote:I don't get too annoyed by many things or people, and Carol doesn't annoy me at all. But, I have to say the list mentioned above is hysterical - I'm aware that she does these things, and I just find them cute and funny rather than off-putting. Like yesterday, when the 'M' and 'F' came out, I, like her, was excited when the 'I' came out. I never cease to be excited by a little word or acronym. Simple things...

PMT and LESI were funny ones

Lesley Jeavons · Post by **Lesley Jeavons** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 6:06 pm

Joseph Bolas wrote:PMT and LESI were funny ones

Oh yes!

And wasn't LESI on the same episode as 'gay' or 'poofter' or something?

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 6:21 pm

Lesley Jeavons wrote:
Joseph Bolas wrote:PMT and LESI were funny ones
Oh yes! And wasn't LESI on the same episode as 'gay' or 'poofter' or something?

It was on 10th October

Jimmy Gough · Post by **Jimmy Gough** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 12:42 am

Just the way that she almost forces the contestant into choosing an easy numbers game. Yet I agree she deserves credit, she has done very well for herself out of it.

Everyone knows Susie's better though.

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 5:44 am

Jimmy wrote:Just the way that she almost forces the contestant into choosing an easy numbers game. Yet I agree she deserves credit, she has done very well for herself out of it.

Everyone knows Susie's better though.

If a contestant who has been on awhile, always pick 6 small for example, she will dread it when it comes to their numbers round, hoping that the contestant will change their selection.

Susie seems to be a nice person indeed and I would love to meet her in person.

Lesley Jeavons · Post by **Lesley Jeavons** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 3:07 pm

Joseph Bolas wrote:If a contestant who has been on awhile, always pick 6 small for example, she will dread it when it comes to their numbers round, hoping that the contestant will change their selection.

But then she gets excited and relieved when one of the small six numbers turns out to be a 10.

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 3:14 pm

Lesley Jeavons wrote:
Joseph Bolas wrote:If a contestant who has been on awhile, always pick 6 small for example, she will dread it when it comes to their numbers round, hoping that the contestant will change their selection.
But then she gets excited and relieved when one of the small six numbers turns out to be a 10.

I do too

Keith Hazell · Post by **Keith Hazell** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:11 pm

Carol cannot do anything wrong as far as I'm concerned - and her smile is like the sun in the morning.

Kai Laddiman · Post by **Kai Laddiman** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:14 pm

dan j wrote: I bet if she had a glass of water she would be sipping away at it in delight just like Kai does.

Oh, thanks a lot. You know it's hot under those lights, and you have to keep your brain hydrated whenever possible.