Countdown star Rachel Riley has thrown her support behind Emma Willis as a potential new host of Strictly Come Dancing. Speaking at the Make-A-Wish charity ball at London's Savoy Hotel, Riley said the TV presenter would be a great fit for the role.
Riley, 40, who met her husband Pasha Kovalev on the show in 2013, said: 'They know who they want, don't they? All the names touted for it would be great. Emma Willis is one, isn't she? I do really enjoy Love Is Blind. She and her husband Matt are brilliant hosting that show.'
The maths whizz also shared updates on her family life with Kovalev and their daughters Maven, six, and Noa, four. She revealed her eldest daughter is showing signs of following in her parents' footsteps, saying: 'My big one loves gymnastics – she's ridiculously strong. I think she has Pasha's genes there. And right now she's saying she wants to become a maths teacher, so there's some of me in there, too.'
Riley, who replaced Carol Vorderman on Countdown in 2009, praised comedian Chris McCausland, who won Strictly in 2024, as one of her favourite celebrity guests on the show. She described his ability to solve numbers puzzles despite being blind as 'incredible'.
