'Countdown' bosses 'thrilled with Riley'

Countdown host Rachel Riley has impressed the show's producers by putting in more confident performances in recent months, according to a report.

The 23-year-old Oxford graduate was appointed as the gameshow's new numbers and letters girl last year following the departure of Carol Vorderman.

A source told the Daily Express: "When Rachel first joined the show she was a little quiet and struggled to impose her personality. It must have been daunting to replace somebody of Carol's stature and she was well aware that people were waiting for her to fall flat on her face.

"But since filming moved from Leeds to Manchester at the start of the summer, her confidence has really grown."

Yesterday, viewers saw Riley showing off her figure by wearing a red minidress on the programme.

The insider said: "When Rachel initially came out of her dressing room there was a stunned silence from the crew before one of the cameramen started humming Chris De Burgh's 'The Lady In Red'.

"She is absolutely stunning and if she wore that dress every day I'm sure our viewing figures would go through the roof."

Riley presents the Channel 4 show with Jeff Stelling.