Colin Murray hinted at split from wife of ten years in interview earlier this month: Countdown host said he was living alone and was ‘the master of my domain’ after separating from composer Carly Paradis ‘as careers drive them apart’
- When asked who controlled the TV remote at home, he said: ‘It’s just me, so me’
- Murray also presents the popular sports show Fighting Talk on BBC Radio 5 Live
Colin Murray hinted at a split from his wife weeks ago, when he suggested he was living alone as he said in a magazine interview: ‘I’m master of my domain’.
The broadcaster, who was revealed as the permanent face of Countdown last month, is said to have parted ways with his composer wife of ten years, Carly Paradis.
Sources claimed the duo were ‘pushed apart’ by work commitments, with Murray also hosting a BBC Radio 5 Live show and Paradis busy producing music for popular shows such as Line of Duty.
The pair are said to have split last year, shortly after Murray, 45, first stepped in for former presenter Anne Robinson on the flagship Channel 4 quiz, according to The Sun.
Murray appeared to confirm that he was living alone during a chat with Radio Times magazine.
Broadcaster Colin Murray (left), who was revealed as the permanent face of Countdown last month, is said to have parted ways with his composer wife of ten years, Carly Paradis (right)
Colin Murray made his breakthrough in broadcasting on BBC Radio 1 in the late 1990s
Murray (far left) then became a presenter on Channel 4’s breakfast show, RI:SE, though he later admitted the role ‘scared me off TV for a long time’
Paradis is known for composing the theme tune for popular BBC show Line Of Duty, alongside Netflix’s The Innocents
How Colin Murray went from digging graves as a teenager to hosting Britain’s favourite quiz show
The star was born in the Belfast suburbs in 1977 and initially named Luke Wright – but later revealed his parents changed it after just two days when realising it sounded ‘like a direction’.
Murray was educated at the Regent House Grammar School but was asked to leave for being ‘disruptive’.
He claimed his tendency to ask awkward questions or tell jokes were ideal for his future career in presenting and should have instead been nurtured by teachers.
As a teenager, Murray worked as a grave digger before making his first strides into journalism, doing shifts both in Northern Ireland and Canada.
He joined BBC Radio 1 in the late 1990s before becoming a presenter on Channel 4’s breakfast show, RI:SE, though he later admitted the role ‘scared me off TV for a long time’.
Murray then presented BBC Radio 5 Live’s popular sports show, Fighting Talk, before returning to the small screen to host Channel 5’s coverage of UEFA Cup football matches.
His stock grew and in 2010 he was asked to take over from Adrian Chiles as host of Match of the Day 2 (MOTD2) as well as the BBC’s highlights show of the World Cup in South Africa that year.
But three years later, Murray was no longer presenting MOTD2 and also left his radio show under a cloud when his show carried a segment joking about being able to ‘turn’ his openly gay BBC colleague Clare Balding.
He later admitted: ‘The second I said it… it was just too much’.
Murray then went on to work for commercial rival Talksport, but departed following the takeover of the channel by News Corp in 2016, before returning to Fighting Talk on 5 Live.
On TV, he acted as the temporary host of Countdown during the Covid lockdown before being announced as its permanent face last month.
When asked who controlled the television remote in his house, and he replied: ‘It’s just me, so me. I’m master of my domain.’
It comes as a source close to the couple told the Sun: ‘Colin and Carly have been open with their friends and family about their break-up and are trying to move on as best they can.’
MailOnline has contacted representatives of Murray for comment.
The star was born in the Belfast suburbs in 1977 and initially named Luke Wright – but later revealed his parents changed it after just two days when realising it sounded ‘like a direction’.
Murray was educated at the Regent House Grammar School but was asked to leave for being ‘disruptive’.
He claimed his tendency to ask awkward questions or tell jokes were ideal for his future career in presenting and should have instead been nurtured by teachers.
As a teenager, Murray worked as a grave digger before making his first strides into journalism, doing shifts both in Northern Ireland and Canada.
He joined BBC Radio 1 in the late 1990s before becoming a presenter on Channel 4’s breakfast show, RI:SE, though he later admitted the role ‘scared me off TV for a long time’.
Murray then presented BBC Radio 5 Live’s popular sports show, Fighting Talk, before returning to the small screen to host Channel 5’s coverage of UEFA Cup football matches.
His stock grew and in 2010 he was asked to take over from Adrian Chiles as host of Match of the Day 2 (MOTD2) as well as the BBC’s highlights show of the World Cup in South Africa that year.
But three years later, Murray was no longer presenting MOTD2 and also left his radio show under a cloud when his show carried a segment joking about being able to ‘turn’ his openly gay BBC colleague Clare Balding.
He later admitted: ‘The second I said it… it was just too much’.
Murray then went on to work for commercial rival Talksport, but departed following the takeover of the channel by News Corp in 2016, before returning to Fighting Talk on 5 Live.
On TV, he acted as the temporary host of Countdown during the Covid lockdown before being announced as its permanent face last month.
In the Radio Times interview last month, the Northern Irish presenter revealed he has moved his television set to his spare bedroom so that he can watch the programmes he wants to watch in ‘batches.’
He said: ‘I keep my TV out of the living room – that’s where I’ll read a book, have a cup of tea or do a jigsaw.
‘I turned a spare bedroom into my TV room, so I’m much more acutely aware of how much time I spend watching TV.’
Despite the move, Murray said he still goes into his designated TV room ‘too often’ and likes to watch shows such as Apple’s Slow Horses and Acapulco.
Murray interviews Oasis legend Noel Gallagher at the Q Awards in London in 2006
Murray goes native and throws his underwear to the crowd at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Dundee in 2006
His stock grew and in 2010 he was asked to take over from Adrian Chiles as host of Match of the Day 2 (MOTD2) as well as the BBC’s highlights show of the World Cup in South Africa that year
TV presenter Colin Murray at the Checkatrade Trophy Fan Engagement event at Wembley Checkatrade Trophy Fan Engagement event in 2018
Since last year, Paradis has been playing keyboards for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on their European tour
Carly (pictured) has worked on the music for popular shows such as BBC drama Line Of Duty
It is not known when Murray and Paradis met, but they tied the knot in 2012 and both live in London
It is not known when Murray and Paradis met, but they tied the knot in 2012 and both live in London.
The pair still follow one another on social media, but Murray has not liked any of his wife’s most recent posts – while he hasn’t posted himself since 2019.
Paradis is known for composing the theme tune for popular BBC show Line Of Duty, alongside Netflix’s The Innocents.
And since last year, she has been playing keyboards for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on their European tour.
In January, Murray was confirmed as the permanent host of the game-show, after fronting it since Anne Robinson stepped down last summer.
As the news was announced during an episode of Steph’s Packed Lunch, he admitted that the opportunity was ‘a career dream.’
Channel 4’s head of daytime and features, Jo Street, said the broadcaster had ‘listened to the fans’ and decided to keep him on as its ‘permanent host’.
Before joining Countdown full-time, the presenter appeared in its Dictionary Corner.
He then stood in for Nick Hewer as host during the second coronavirus lockdown in England as Hewer, now 78, was unable to travel to the set.
After the news was announced Murray said: ‘It’s a career dream to be named as permanent anchor of one of television’s most iconic programmes.
‘I have been a fan since day one, been part of the family for over a decade, appearing on Dictionary Corner, and now I get the honour of guiding it into a fifth decade. However, I don’t just want Countdown to survive, I want it to thrive.
‘During my caretaker stint we’ve seen more people tune back in, with close to a million (900,000) watching the series final in December, and I want that to just be the beginning.
‘Countdown is a special show, and its stars will always be the letters and the numbers, but it’s more than that.
‘Great afternoon company for people of all ages from all across the UK.’
The pair still follow one another on social media, but Murray has not liked any of his wife’s most recent posts – while he hasn’t posted himself since 2019
Dream team: Colin said he, mathematician Rachel Riley and lexicographer Susie Dent are ‘very excited for the year ahead’
Swapped: In January, Colin was confirmed as the permanent host of game-show Countdown, after fronting it since Anne Robinson stepped down last summer
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