Northern Ireland's Colin Murray is new permanent host of Countdown

When it was finally revealed that NI man and former News Letter reporter Colin Murray was to be the permanent host of Countdown, colleague Susie Dent congratulated him for nabbing 'the best seat on TV' - and for a longtime fan such as himself, she was not wrong.

The 45-year-old had temporarily filled in for Anne Robinson who stepped down as host last year but the Dundonald man could not be happier that he won't be leaving the Channel 4 show anytime soon.

Colin has previously revealed how it still sometimes stops him in his tracks that he has managed to realise a long-cherished dream he had when he had first moved to London aged just 24 and boldly told his agent he'd one day like to host Countdown.

Colin said: "It's weird because we film in advance so for the audience it's a few weeks [since the news was announced] but for me, its a couple of months so it feels like forever because obviously, I was doing it temporarily as well for five or six months.

"I've signed a two-year contract so it is very strange but it never fully sinks in - well, it does and it doesn't. It feels normal to turn up to the Countdown dressing room, put my stuff down, look at my five jumpers for the week and get my notes ready and that's all very normal stuff.

"But at least once every recording day, there is a moment where it just hits me again - it could just be during a numbers round and I'm am like 'oh wow, I am usually playing along at home'. There is something every day that reminds you that you are doing the job that you always wanted to do."

He added: "When you talk to people about Richard Whitely, they always say about how he never stopped loving doing the programme and his ringtone was even the Countdown theme tune so I think I might reflect that kind of passion for the show."