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Rachel Riley

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Rachel Riley
Rachel Riley is an English TV presenter best recognized for co-presenting Channel 4’s puzzle game show ‘Countdown’ as well as its comedy spin-off show ‘8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown’. A mathematics graduate of Oriel College, Oxford, she made her television debut at the age of 22. With a passion for popularizing mathematics and science, Riley then went on to co-present the shows ‘It's Not Rocket Science’ and ‘The Gadget Show’. Till date, she has also made guest appearances in a number of television programs, such as 'This Morning ', '12 Again ', 'Pointless Celebrities' and 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?', to name a few. She has even participated as a contestant on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. Coming to her personal life, Riley is currently in a relationship with dancer Pasha Kovalev. The couple resides together in London.
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Born
January 11, 1986
Birth Place
Rochford, Essex
Nationality
British
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Also Known As
Rachel Annabelle Riley
Famous As
TV Presenter
Height
5'7" (170 cm)
Education
Thorpe Hall School, Southend High School for Girls, Oriel College, Oxford
Partner
Pasha Kovalev (2014–)
Father
Christopher Riley
Mother
Celia Riley
Spouse(s)
Jamie Gilbert (m. 2012–2013)
Children
1
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The Independent

Rachel Riley says she ‘wouldn’t wish Johnny Depp on my worst enemy’

Countdown star Rachel Riley has condemned Johnny Depp amid the actor’s ongoing defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.Depp is suing Heard for $50m (£38.2m). He alleges that Heard implied that he abused her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed about domestic violence.Heard is countersuing for $100m (£80.9m), accusing Depp of orchestrating a “smear campaign” against her and describing his lawsuit as a continuation of “abuse and harassment”.On Twitter, Riley shared a thread by another user entitled “Johnny Depp: a problematic history”. The thread details a number of Depp’s past controversies, including his friendship with Marilyn Manson, and the allegations...
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Picture for Rachel Riley says she ‘wouldn’t wish Johnny Depp on my worst enemy’
RELATED PEOPLE
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Michael Riley
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Pasha Kovalev
The Independent

Rachel Riley says ‘attacks’ on JK Rowling’s trans views stem from her defence of Jews ‘against Jeremy Corbyn’

Rachel Riley has said that criticism of JK Rowling’s views on trans rights stems from her speaking out “against Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism”.The Countdown whiz, who has appeared on the show since 2009, was asked about the backlash Rowling has received during a new interview.The Harry Potter author has been widely criticised in recent years for her controversial comments about transgender rights, which began in June 2020 when she called out the gender-inclusive term “people who menstruate”.“I’m sure there used to be a word for those people,” Rowling wrote, adding: “Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”While there was...
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The Independent

Voices: I was groped by a male celebrity at the Baftas – what happened to Rachel Riley is sadly nothing new

I’ve never met Rachel Riley, but I feel a distinct sense of kinship with her. That’s because when she talks about her experience of sexual harassment – the Countdown presenter, who’s 36, revealed on a podcast that a male celebrity had “upskirted” her at a party and then shared the footage with his friends – I am immediately transported to the time a powerful male celebrity groped me at the Baftas. This is not to detract from Riley’s experience by sharing my own, or to centre myself in the narrative. It is simply to shout “Me too!” as loudly as...
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The Independent

Rachel Riley recalls incident in which celebrity tried to capture upskirt footage of her

Rachel Riley has recalled an incident in which an unnamed celebrity tried to film up her skirt using a mobile phone camera.The Countdown presenter has spoken previously about receiving sexually explicit messages from strangers on social media, and recently praised the forthcoming Online Harms Bill, which seeks to regulate harmful online content.During an appearance on the Dirty Mother Pukka podcast, Riley recalled: “One who shall remain nameless, who people would know, he just got an Apple Watch, and at a party at a friend’s house, I was playing table tennis with [husband Pasha Kovalev], and this guy, in...
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BBC

Rachel Riley wins £10,000 damages over Nazi tweet

Countdown star Rachel Riley has been awarded £10,000 damages by a High Court judge after suing an ex-aide of Jeremy Corbyn over comments made on Twitter more than two years ago. Riley, currently on maternity leave from the Channel 4 show, had complained about a tweet sent by Laura...
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The Independent

Rachel Riley waits for ruling on libel damages fight with former Corbyn aide

Television presenter Rachel Riley is waiting to hear whether she has won a damages fight after suing a former aide to Jeremy Corbyn for libel.Ms Riley, 35, a numbers expert on the Channel 4 show Countdown, sued Laura Murray, who is in her early 30s, over a tweet posted more than two years ago.A judge oversaw the High Court case, in London, in May and is scheduled to deliver a ruling on Monday.Mr Justice Nicklin heard how both women posted tweets after Mr Corbyn, who was then Labour leader, was hit with an egg while visiting a mosque in March...
CELEBRITIES
The Independent

Rachel Riley awarded £10,000 damages after suing former Corbyn aide over tweet

Television presenter Rachel Riley has been awarded £10,000 in damages by a High Court judge after suing a former aide to Jeremy Corbyn for libel.Ms Riley, 35, a numbers expert on the Channel 4 show Countdown, sued Laura Murray, who is in her early thirties, over a tweet posted more than two years ago.Mr Justice Nicklin oversaw the High Court case in London in May and delivered a ruling on Monday.The judge said Ms Riley was “entitled” to “vindication”.He had heard that both women posted tweets after Mr Corbyn, who was then Labour leader, was hit with an egg...
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