Carol Vorderman Has Her Say On Claims Richard Whiteley Was A Spy For MI5

This week in “sentences we never imagined typing”: Carol Vorderman has denied Ricky Tomlinson’s claims that ‘Countdown’ host Richard Whiteley was actually an MI5 spy.

Earlier this week, Ricky said that he believes the TV star was working undercover for the intelligence services in the 1970s, something the late game show host’s wife has since denied.

Now, Carol - who worked with Richard on ‘Countdown’ for 23 years - has joined Richard’s wife in rubbishing the claim, pointing out one small problem.

She told the Express: “Whiters was a mystery and he was amazing and charming and very bright (which he managed to hide well a lot of the time on Countdown! Ha.)

“I’d be fascinated to see Ricky’s evidence. However, if he was a spy then he never mentioned it to me or gave any of us reason to believe he was one… but then again if he was a spook he wouldn’t exactly shout about it!

“He was, as I would often call him, a complete cult… now perhaps he has become an enigma of a certain variation!”

Now this is a tough one, isn’t it?

Because as Carol points out, keeping a secret is pretty integral to being a spy, so strong denials from his loved ones aren’t exactly proof Ricky may be mistaken.

What a conundrum.

The 77-year-old ‘Royle Family’ actor made his bizarre claim as he opened a Wetherspoons pub in Chester, where he told drinkers that he had proof Richard helped him get sentenced to two years in prison in 1973, after being found guilty of “conspiracy to intimidate”.

“I’ve got documents at home, which are printed ‘confidential’, ‘strictly confidential’, ‘not to be seen’, but it involves the likes of Ted Heath, Woodrow Wyatt,” he said.