Rachel Riley

“I am really surprised that what I am wearing on 'Countdown' has got into the papers.”

“Maths is like a ladder - if you miss the first few rungs, you can't jump up, so start with the basics.”

“For a long time, I thought, 'I'm not a TV presenter,' but now I realise there's no typical route into this business.”

“It's always flattering when you get compliments, but it's more of a measure of who you are at the time than anything else.”

“In school productions, I was always villager No. 7. I was never at the front of the stage dancing and never had any lines.”

“I've been a fan of 'Countdown' for as long as I can remember, and this is a dream job.”

“Russian is a really hard language - but I've got my own personal teacher. He's been really patient.”

“Practising maths can be fun.”

“I think we've come a long way with women's rights, but we've got a long way to go.”

“I was used to Essex boys growing up. Russian boys are a lot more gentlemanly and thoughtful. They will express their emotions a bit more.”

“The paso doble is my favourite dance on 'Strictly,' so I'm so pleased I get to do it.”

“I think you regret the things that you don't do more than the things you do.”

“I never would've thought of going on 'Strictly,' I mean, I went on because it's my mum's favourite programme in the world.”

“My biggest vice? Vegan cupcakes, which are delicious.”

“I never Google myself because that way madness lies.”

“The me on '8 Out Of 10 Cats' is the side I'd show to my mates.”

“When I was at uni, our whole college bar would gather around the quiz machine for a few games every night.”

“Maths is like learning a language: you need to learn the basics to get going, but a lot of adults go into blind panic about numbers and switch off.”

“I am always running late for absolutely everything; my hair's the last thing I do because I am terrible at it.”

“I am lucky because I often get my makeup done by professionals, and they always try new ideas; I'll attempt to vaguely recreate what they've done.”