Vorderman fan 'drenches Channel 4 boss'

The Channel 4 chief who was accused of forcing Carol Vorderman out of her Countdown job has fallen victim to a revenge attack, according to a report.

The Daily Mail claims that Helen Warner was at a broadcasting awards ceremony on Wednesday night when a man approached her, threw an ice bucket over her head, and announced: "This is for f****** over Carol".

Vorderman quit the Channel 4 gameshow in July last year, claiming that she had been told to take a 90% pay cut or stand down from the programme.

Reports later alleged that Warner, Channel 4's Head of Daytime, had warned Vorderman: "Countdown easily survived without Richard Whiteley. It can easily survive without you."

The man behind the attack, who worked for ITV Granada, was arrested after police were called to the awards bash. He was later released after receiving a caution for common assault.

An ITV spokesman confirmed: "A freelance journalist from ITV Granada was involved in an incident with a Channel 4 employee. As a result of this, this person is no longer working for ITV. ITV has issued a personal apology to the Channel 4 staff member concerned."

Countdown has enjoyed a ratings boost in recent weeks following the arrival of Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley as the show's new presenting team.