I only found out about this today, and was truly saddened.
R.I.P Richard, you will be sorely missed. Countdown won't be the same without you, but I hope they don't cancel it.
Oh, and as david.ewles says, this show originated in France. I dunno if anyone has seen the original version, but it's very boring and not at all funny. It's probably what Countdown would have been like if Twice Nightly hadn't been chosen to present it. He should be proud of his achievements.