Richard Whiteley RIP

Regardless of what else is written and said about Richard Whiteley - about his frequently embarrassing patter, awful puns and legendarily bad dress sense (offset only by the jumpers of Giles Brandreth, often to be found in Dictionary Corner), not to mention his occasional deficiencies as a - the first man to appear on C4 in 1982 was a TV institution. Jolly and enthusiastic, he was like a kindly uncle livening up many a weekday afternoon, even if he did make you squirm and cringe at times. Whether 'Countdown' can continue without the man who has become synonymous with it seems to me unlikely.

The Guardian's Lucy Mangan on Whiteley and how we gradually took him to our hearts.