Des Lynam is said to miss Chiswick so much when filming Countdown, that he has threatened to quit.

The 63 year old presenter who took over from the late Richard Whitely has stated that he is fed up with the journey from his home in Chiswick to Leeds even though he only works on the show for a week each month.

Much to the annoyance of the 40 strong Countdown staff, which include Carol Vordaman, show bosses have come up with a compromise. From next year, half of the series will be filmed in a studio near to his riverside home with the remainder in Leeds.

A show insider told the Mirror newspaper "It's outrageous to think he would get the whole team to travel down to his neck of the woods, rather than him coming up here. What a flaming cheek. He doesn't seem to care that it will make it a lot tougher for everyone else who works on the programme."

Another said "It's not as if he's having to get the bus up here - and let's not forget that he's being paid £600,000 for his troubles. Channel 4 are very keen to keep him happy because the viewers love him."

Lynam, who lives with his long-term partner Rose Diamond and best of stiff competition from Noel Edmonds to land the role in the first place, insists that the rumours about his diva demands are not true. "Des has not asked for any changes," said his agent who also insisted that the former Match of the Day presenter was perfectly happy working in Leeds.

August 9, 2006