Carol Vorderman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carol Vorderman MBE HonFIET
Carol Vorderman in 2011
Born	Carol Jean Vorderman (1960-12-24) 24 December 1960 (age 64) Bedford, England
Nationality	Welsh
Education	Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (BA)
Occupation	Broadcaster media personality writer
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Christopher Mather ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1986)​ Patrick King ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 2000)​
Partner(s)	Des Kelly (2001–2006)
Children	2
Relatives	Adolphe Vorderman (great-grandfather)

Carol Jean Vorderman (born 24 December 1960) is a famous Welsh TV presenter, media personality, and writer. She is best known for being the maths expert on the game show Countdown for 26 years. She worked on the show from 1982 until 2008.

Carol has also presented many other TV shows. These include How 2, Better Homes, and the The Pride of Britain Awards, which she still hosts today. She was also a presenter on the talk show Loose Women from 2011 to 2014.

She has appeared as a contestant on popular reality shows like Strictly Come Dancing and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. In 2020, she won The Great Celebrity Bake-Off. Since 2022, Carol has been a news reviewer for the TV show This Morning.

In 2000, Carol was given an award called the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This was to recognise her great work in broadcasting. She has also written newspaper columns and many educational books, especially about maths.

Early Life and Education

Carol Vorderman was born in Bedford, England. She was the youngest of three children. Her father was Dutch, and her mother was Welsh.

Her parents separated when she was very young. Her mother moved the family back to her hometown of Prestatyn, North Wales. Carol grew up there with her brother and sister. She did not see her father again until she was 42 years old.

Carol went to Blessed Edward Jones Catholic High School in Rhyl. When she was 17, in 1978, she started studying engineering at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. She earned a degree there.

Later, Carol learned more about her Dutch family history. She found out that her father had been part of the Dutch resistance during World War II. This meant he secretly fought against the Nazi occupation. She also discovered that her great-grandfather, Adolphe Vorderman, helped discover vitamins.

Early Career

Carol first worked as a junior civil engineer. This was at Dinorwig Power Station in Wales. After that, she worked as a management trainee in Leeds.

In the mid-1980s, she also worked part-time for the UK Atomic Energy Authority. She helped make in-house video programmes there. She also read stories for pre-school children on Radio Aire.

Television Career

Countdown

Carol Vorderman became famous for her role on Countdown. Her mother saw an advert looking for a woman with good maths skills for a new TV quiz show. She applied for Carol, who was 21 at the time.

Carol joined Countdown when it started in 1982. She stayed on the show until 2008. At first, she only helped with the numbers game. But over time, she became the main person handling both the letters and numbers games.

Carol became known for her amazing ability to do fast and accurate maths in her head. She would quickly solve the numbers game if the contestants couldn't. This made her a new kind of game show host. She became one of the highest-paid women in Britain because of her success.

Leaving Countdown

In 2005, the main presenter, Richard Whiteley, passed away. Carol was asked to take his place, but she said no. Des Lynam and then Des O'Connor took over as hosts.

In 2008, Carol announced she was leaving Countdown. She had been on the show for 26 years. She said she left because she couldn't agree on a new contract. Her last show was broadcast on 12 December 2008.

Loose Women

In 2011, Carol Vorderman joined the TV talk show Loose Women. She started presenting live shows in September 2011. She hosted the show regularly for a few years.

On 14 July 2014, Carol announced that she was leaving Loose Women.

Other Television Work

Carol Vorderman presents the annual Pride of Britain Awards. These awards celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things. She has hosted them since they began in 1999.

In 2004, Carol took part in Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with a professional dancer. She was the second celebrity to be voted off the show.

She has also appeared on many other shows. These include Have I Got News for You and The Sunday Night Project. In 2013, she presented the ITV food show Food Glorious Food.

In 2016, Carol was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She finished in eighth place. In 2020, she won The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off.

Carol has also been learning the Welsh language. In 2020, she took part in a Welsh TV show called Iaith ar Daith (Language Road Trip). She completed challenges using her new Welsh skills.

In 2023, Carol appeared in I'm a Celebrity... South Africa. She also made a guest appearance as herself in the BBC One comedy Queen of Oz.

Television Appearances

Radio Work

In 2023, Carol Vorderman started hosting her own show on the radio station LBC. She said she would use her voice to speak out and hold people accountable.

However, in October 2024, she announced she would be leaving LBC. She said this was due to a 'health scare'.

Other Activities

Writing and Books

Carol Vorderman has written columns for newspapers like The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mirror. She has also written many books.

Her book Detox For Life was a bestseller, selling over a million copies. She has also published many school textbooks. These include popular series like Maths Made Easy and Science Made Easy.

Business Ventures

Carol has also launched several business projects. She created Sudoku products and a brain-training game called Carol Vorderman's Mind Aerobics. She also released a Sudoku video game for PlayStation.

In 2010, Carol launched a new online maths coaching system. It is for children aged 4 to 12 and is called the MathsFactor.

Other Interests

Honorary Group Captain Carol Vorderman

Carol Vorderman has many other interests. In 2010, she helped present events for the Pope's visit to Hyde Park. In 2012, she named a train called "Battle of Britain Memorial Flight".

In 2014, Carol earned her private pilot's licence. She announced plans to fly solo around the world. She named her plane Mildred after a famous British aviator, Mildred, Mrs Victor Bruce. Carol calls Mildred her "heroine".

In 2014, Carol became an ambassador for the Royal Air Force Air Cadets. She was given the honorary rank of group captain. She is also actively learning the Welsh language. She said she loves it and it connects her to her roots.

Personal Life

Carol Vorderman has been married twice. Her first marriage was in 1985 to Christopher Mather. It lasted for twelve months. Her second marriage was to Patrick King in 1990. They had two children, Katie (born 1992) and Cameron (born 1997). They separated in 2000.

Carol lived with or very close to her mother for most of her life. Her mother passed away in 2017.

Political Views

Carol Vorderman has shared her opinions on politics. In 2009, she worked with the Conservative Party to look at how maths is taught.

In 2023, Carol was critical of the government at the time. She described herself as being politically independent. She has used social media to express her views on political issues.

In November 2023, she resigned from her BBC Radio Wales show. This was after the BBC introduced new social media rules. Carol said she would "not be silenced" and continued to share her opinions.

Honours and Awards

Carol Vorderman was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2000. This was for her contributions to broadcasting. She has also received honorary degrees from Bangor University and the University of Bath.

She was voted UK Female Rear of the Year in 2011 and again in 2014. In 2021, she received an Honorary Fellowship from the Institution of Engineering and Technology. This was for her great work in engineering.

Charity Work

Carol Vorderman at an RAF Association show in July 2011

Carol Vorderman is a supporter of the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA). Her older brother was born with a cleft lip and palate. In 2005, she won £60,000 for CLAPA on a TV show called Ant and Dec's Gameshow Marathon.

She has also supported other charities. She appeared in a film to promote prostate cancer awareness. She has taken part in the Great North Run several times to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Carol is also a strong supporter of the RAF Association charity.

Published Writings

• Dirty, Loud and Brilliant, 1988
• Carol Vorderman's Pop Music Times Tables, 1990
• Carol Vorderman's How to Write a Perfect Letter, 1991
• How Mathematics Works, 1996
• Carol Vorderman's Guide to the Internet (with Rob Young), 1998
• 30-Day Cellulite Plan, 2004
• Carol Vorderman's How to Do Sudoku, 2005
• Carol Vorderman's Massive Book of Sudoku, 2005
• Eat Yourself Clever, 2008
• Carol Vorderman's Guide to Maths
• Carol Vorderman's Detox Diet, 2009
• It All Counts, 2010
• Now What? On a Mission to Fix Broken Britain, 2024

Images for kids

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  Carol Vorderman (middle left) with Boris Johnson in February 2020