Rachel Riley wraps final Countdown episode before maternity leave

By Alex Green, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Rachel Riley has filmed her final episode of Countdown before going on maternity leave.

The 35-year-old mathematician and presenter is expecting her second child with her professional dancer husband Pasha Kovalev.

Scientist Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, who stood in for Riley during Channel 4’s Black To Front Day, will fill in for her while she is away.

Well that’s it from me, I’ve officially finished filming to pop a baby out!

You’re stuck with me on screen till December when the totally amazing @aimafidon will be keeping the numbers in line till I’m back next year!

Hope you have loads of fun Anne-Marie, best of luck lovely! pic.twitter.com/dUZnwFvERL

— Rachel Riley 💙 (@RachelRileyRR) October 8, 2021

Sharing a series of photos from the Countdown studio, Riley said on Twitter: “Well that’s it from me, I’ve officially finished filming to pop a baby out!

“You’re stuck with me on screen till December when the totally amazing @aimafidon will be keeping the numbers in line till I’m back next year!

“Hope you have loads of fun Anne-Marie, best of luck lovely!”

One picture saw her place a newborn’s T-shirt featuring the Countdown logo across her bump.

Riley and Kovalev met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, and married in Las Vegas in 2019.

The couple already have a daughter, Maven, who was born in December the same year.

She announced both pregnancies in the form of humorous brain teasers using Countdown’s famous letter board.

The presenter started dating Kovalev after splitting from her husband, fellow Oxford University student Jamie Gilbert, in 2013.

Kovalev announced he was leaving Strictly following the 2018 series, after eight years on the show.