Countdown's Rachel Riley is single after splitting with boyfriend of four years

By Ben Todd

She is renowned for her mathematical skills.

However Countdown presenter Rachel Riley has been forced to accept life as a single figure - after admitting her long-term relationship with a fellow Oxford University graduate no longer added up.

Miss Riley – who famously replaced Carol Vorderman on the Channel 4 tea-time show 12 months ago – split with wealthy Jamie Gilbert two months ago.

Grammar schoolgirl Miss Riley, 23, and Mr Gilbert, 27, had been dating for four-and-a-half years after meeting when she was first at university.

She claimed the break-up with the man she once labelled her ‘rock’ had been amicable and they remain close friends.

But the decision to end the relationship came just weeks after the couple had enjoyed a romantic holiday together in Borneo.

Miss Riley, 23, said: ‘I split up with Jamie a couple of months ago. I am single now. We just became friends. It wasn’t the pressure of work. It was just a mutual thing.

She continued: ‘I was with Jamie for four-and-a-half years, it was a long time and we are still really good friends. I still see him and my other friends.’

But she confessed: ‘It has been a long time since I have been single. I am so busy. I don’t have time to do anything else.’

Miss Riley and Mr Gilbert – who has an IQ of 173 - started dating when she first went to Oriel College where she, naturally, studied Mathematics while his degree was in the Classics.

But while Miss Riley – who went to Southend High School for Girls - carried on living with her parents in a modest residential road in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, after starting her £100,000-a-year job on Countdown, Mr Gilbert has always enjoyed a far more luxurious lifestyle.

The Gilberts have amassed a huge fortune from their business and sold their former Surrey home to Chelsea and England footballer Ashley Cole and his pop star wife Cheryl for £3.55 million in 2007.

Mr Gilbert now lives with his family on a sprawling East Sussex estate, which they bought for £1.25 million.

At Oxford, Mr Gilbert – who went to Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey - was known for his love of expensive cars, even driving a Lamborghini to seminars.

He now works for his father David’s high-end computer company, Powerdesk, in central London.

Speaking of their relationship last year, Miss Riley said: ‘We have been together for four years, after meeting at Oxford. He did Classics. He is my rock, but I'd better not say anything else about him, otherwise he will get embarrassed.’


Happier times: Rachel out shopping with Jamie Gilbert in February. They split in the autumn
It also appears the curse of the female Countdown boffin has struck again.

Predecessor Miss Vorderman went through two break-ups during her time on the long-running show.

In 1985, she married Chris Mather, a Royal Navy officer and former Rugby League international. But their marriage lasted just 12 months.

Miss Vorderman’s then married management consultant Patrick King in 1990. Together they had two children – Katie and Cameron – but separated in 2000.

It is a year since Miss Riley – along with host Jeff Stelling - started on Countdown.

She was preparing to take a job as an analyst when she saw the Countdown role advertised — and beat off 1,000 other applicants to replace Miss Vorderman, who left the show series after being told her £800,000 salary would be slashed by 90 per cent.

Miss Riley, though, did not worry about filling such famous shoes.

She said: ‘I just had to be myself. There was no point in trying to pretend to be someone else.’

And even though viewing figures have fallen, Miss Riley has won over many male fans of the show, particularly with her short dresses and when she cheekily came up with the eight-letter word 'horniest'.


source: dailymail