“People have got their opinions, and you can’t please everyone.”
― Rachel Riley
“The brain is muscle. If you don’t exercise it, it will get slow.”
― Rachel Riley
“People can underestimate you when you’re blonde and from Essex, but it’s easy to shut that down. I used to get dumb blonde jokes when I was 18, but when I replied that I was studying maths at Oxford, it usually shut them up.”
― Rachel Riley
“The paso doble is my favourite dance on ‘Strictly,’ so I’m so pleased I get to do it.”
― Rachel Riley
“Practising maths can be fun.”
― Rachel Riley
“When I was at uni, our whole college bar would gather around the quiz machine for a few games every night.”
― Rachel Riley
“I have never been graceful, never been elegant.”
― Rachel Riley
“More than other subjects, there’s a myth that you have to be an absolute genius to be good at maths and to enjoy it, so I think it’s less accessible for people. Even the word ‘maths’ makes people screw their face up. They do the maths face.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’d happily describe myself as a TV presenter now.”
― Rachel Riley
“You can have your opinions, and you can share them with your friends, but why would you go online to tell a stranger something random about their appearance? I don’t get that.”
― Rachel Riley
“My parents supported me through university, and after I graduated, I got a job as an analyst at a price comparison website called TotallyMoney.com.”
― Rachel Riley
“I think there is a real negative attitude to splitting up with someone in our society, but it is good to stay friends.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’m not into bags, so I don’t pay a lot for them; I get them from H&M and Topshop.”
― Rachel Riley
“I was on ‘Strictly’ because I was getting stage fright. I was taught that I had to imagine what a good outcome would be and be happy with it.”
― Rachel Riley
“I love that once you know the basic rules of maths, you can do whatever you want with it.”
― Rachel Riley
“When I was little, I carried a book of times tables around everywhere and always tried to get the best score. I like the fact that you don’t need any tools, only your head. I also enjoy rules and, with maths, you are either right or wrong.”
― Rachel Riley
“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.”
― Rachel Riley
“Some of the words that pop up on the show have had terrible connotations. But that’s the beauty of ‘Countdown.’”
― Rachel Riley
“Even though you picture Russians as stoic, their language is really poetic.”
― Rachel Riley
“CBT really helped me, and I would recommend it to anyone.”
― Rachel Riley
“I didn’t realise until I did CBT that I was a perfectionist. Whenever you do anything, there are always going to be things that go wrong, it’s never going to be 100 per cent perfect. Because of how I was, I’d focus on those bits and always see the negative in anything.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’ve always been clumsy, the one who knocks glasses over.”
― Rachel Riley
“I like a challenge. I like doing things that scare me.”
― Rachel Riley
“My parents encourage me to save, but I do buy the odd thing that I wouldn’t tell them about.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’m really lucky to be in the TV industry and to have a regular yearly contract. That gives me security.”
― Rachel Riley
“Without ‘Countdown,’ I’d probably still be a data analyst in London.”
― Rachel Riley
“You sit men and women down and give them a maths test, and they will do fairly equally. Then you set up the same test, but with different people, and make them tick a box to say whether they are a man or a woman, and the women do significantly worse in the maths test than they did previously in a group set.”
― Rachel Riley
“There’s an ingrained mentality in our culture that women aren’t as good. Other places, it doesn’t exist.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’m really interested in male and female brains and whether female brains or male brains are better at maths.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’m a massive football fan, so when Ladbrokes approached me and asked me to take a look at the statistics, I jumped at the chance.”
― Rachel Riley
“I never Google myself because that way madness lies.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’d love to present a popular science programme because it’s something I feel very passionate about.”
― Rachel Riley
“I don’t think you need to get married necessarily. Girls just assume they will get married and have babies, but that isn’t the right thing for everyone.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’ve had inquiries for things like TV show ‘Splash,’ where people go out in front of the whole nation in a bikini. But I think bikinis are just for the beach.”
― Rachel Riley
“I enjoy things that are relevant to me, like maths and science and ‘Countdown,’ and I don’t want to offend our viewers.”
― Rachel Riley
“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.”
― Rachel Riley
“I think we’ve come a long way with women’s rights, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
― Rachel Riley
“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.”
― Rachel Riley
“When you’re out shopping, try to calculate the discount of something in the sales, or work out how much a bill in a restaurant will come to. Your brain is just like any other muscle – you have to train it to make it work faster.”
― Rachel Riley
“Maths is like a ladder – if you miss the first few rungs, you can’t jump up, so start with the basics.”
― Rachel Riley
“There’s no reason for men to be better at maths than women – it’s just about our perception.”
― Rachel Riley
“We go to the banya, the Russian spa. And you go into the sauna, which is really hot, much hotter than a normal sauna, and then they beat you with branches.”
― Rachel Riley
“There is no time you should shut the doors, as there is always love out there for you.”
― Rachel Riley
“I would have never dreamt in a million years I would go out with a ballroom dancer from Russia, as, when we were younger, we did not even speak the same language.”
― Rachel Riley
“I was with my ex-husband for eight or nine years, and we became good friends. I met him at university, and our relationship ended. We are still good friends.”
― Rachel Riley
“In TV, you get so many different opportunities, and especially, you get to try something different you don’t get to do as a normal person, then great.”
― Rachel Riley
“From my personal experience, because I’m in a relationship, on paper I would never have imagined – I’m an Essex girl, maths geek who likes football, and I’ve ended up with a Russian ballroom dancer, and I guess the things you think are important, especially when you’re younger, turn out not to be.”
― Rachel Riley
“Maths is the language of science.”
― Rachel Riley
“For a long time, I thought, ‘I’m not a TV presenter,’ but now I realise there’s no typical route into this business.”
― Rachel Riley
“I always say the side of me I show on ‘Countdown’ is the side I’d show to my gran.”
― Rachel Riley
“The me on ‘8 Out Of 10 Cats’ is the side I’d show to my mates.”
― Rachel Riley
“I am really surprised that what I am wearing on ‘Countdown’ has got into the papers.”
― Rachel Riley
“When I first started, I tried to wear things I thought a ‘Countdown’ presenter should wear.”
― Rachel Riley
“I like American late-night shows, like Trevor Noah, John Oliver and Bill Maher – I’ve got them all on series link.”
― Rachel Riley
“I don’t see myself with or without children – whatever will be, will be.”
― Rachel Riley
“If I’m with someone, and I’m happy, that’s enough.”
― Rachel Riley
“My biggest vice? Vegan cupcakes, which are delicious.”
― Rachel Riley
“I cycle, especially in warm weather. If I have a meeting in town, I would rather cycle than go by car.”
― Rachel Riley
“I have had a problem with food intolerance since I was eight.”
― Rachel Riley
“I take vitamin C and zinc every day to keep colds at bay. I also take calcium tablets to supplement my lack of dairy, and d-mannose, a cranberry extract thought to be good for women’s health.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’m at my most fulfilled challenging myself with something that scares me.”
― Rachel Riley
“Russian is a really hard language – but I’ve got my own personal teacher. He’s been really patient.”
― Rachel Riley
“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.”
― Rachel Riley
“I am always running late for absolutely everything; my hair’s the last thing I do because I am terrible at it.”
― Rachel Riley
“As soon as I am out of my work clothes, I am in flat shoes, stretchy leggings, and a cashmere jumper; it’s all low maintenance.”
― Rachel Riley
“I use a stylist, which wasn’t something I imagined I’d ever do, because I like shopping, but because we prerecord ‘Countdown,’ I don’t want to wear something that everyone has from the high street by the time the programme goes out.”
― Rachel Riley
“To get a job in TV is just amazing.”
― Rachel Riley
“I have loved ‘Countdown’ for years. I always used to watch it when I got home from school. To be actually on the programme is a big challenge.”
― Rachel Riley
“I am the type of person who just gets on with whatever life throws at you. I have a ‘do first, worry later’ kind of attitude.”
― Rachel Riley
“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.”
― Rachel Riley
“I am aware of some of the things about me on the Internet – like people putting up pictures of me online every single day on something called Rachel Watch!”
― Rachel Riley
“Isolation among older people is a massive problem, and my grandad used to come round for Sunday lunch every week for as long as I can remember.”
― Rachel Riley
“I think you regret the things that you don’t do more than the things you do.”
― Rachel Riley
“When I see myself on screen, I don’t even feel like it’s me – it’s like it’s a completely different person.”
― Rachel Riley
“God, I don’t think of myself as gorgeous at all!”
― Rachel Riley
“Filming ‘It’s Not Rocket Science’ has made me realise I’m missing the part of my brain that warns me about danger because – even though the tasks are terrifying – I find it really exciting.”
― Rachel Riley
“I think the word ‘celebrity’ is stupid.”
― Rachel Riley
“I don’t want girls to aspire to being famous for the sake of being famous.”
― Rachel Riley
“I like being known for being good at maths and having a brain. If I’ve been asked to do something but it’s not relevant to me, I don’t do it. I’d feel a bit of an idiot just turning up in a dress.”
― Rachel Riley
“If I find a dress I really like and it happens to be a bit short, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. The thing about going to Oxford is it does give you the confidence to be how you want to be.”
― Rachel Riley
“Very fitted dresses look much better on TV, even though in reality they might be so tight that I can barely move in them.”
― Rachel Riley
“Winter is my favourite season for clothes because I’m happiest wearing knitted dresses, leggings, and Uggs.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’m 5ft 7in tall and a size six to eight on top and eight to ten on the bottom. Consequently, I get a lot of my clothes altered to fit, as I am always between sizes.”
― Rachel Riley
“I would just like to learn to control my limbs.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’ve had the ‘Countdown’ theme-tune as my mobile phone ringtone for years.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’ve been a fan of ‘Countdown’ for as long as I can remember, and this is a dream job.”
― Rachel Riley
“I only applied for ‘Countdown’ as a bit of a laugh while applying for lots of other graduate jobs. I’ve had some amazing opportunities, and I’ve loved every minute.”
― Rachel Riley
“Before ‘Countdown,’ I’d never even met anyone who was on TV.”
― Rachel Riley
“Being bad at maths shouldn’t be something to brag about, and I’m glad people are waking up to this, but there’s no reason be embarrassed to look for help when it comes to numeracy.”
― Rachel Riley
“There’s no such thing as a ‘maths brain.’ Anyone can be numerate; it’s just a matter of confidence. There are so many opportunities to improve your skills during everyday life, doing even a little a day can make maths feel more familiar and less scary.”
― Rachel Riley
“’I’m a Celebrity’ is not my cup of tea whatsoever. I don’t like the animal cruelty in it, to be honest.”
― Rachel Riley
“I like to do things where you do learn something and go on a journey, such as ‘Strictly Come Dancing.’”
― Rachel Riley
“For my 21st birthday party, I had a ‘Strictly’-themed fancy dress.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’m very excited to be joining the ‘Gadget Show’ family. I’m always keen to try out new gadgets, so it’s going to be brilliant to be able to get my hands on the latest models and test them on behalf of the viewers.”
― Rachel Riley
“The best thing about ‘Strictly’ is it doesn’t matter what level you start at, if you’ve never put a foot in front of the other in your life.”
― Rachel Riley
“Digital exclusion is a difficult issue for families across the whole of the U.K., including my own. I love seeing my nan, but with such a busy schedule and a long distance between us, I don’t get to see her nearly as often as I would like.”
― Rachel Riley
“A review of maths teaching is a great thing, but it’s a complex issue, and often the damage is done in the very early years of education.”
― Rachel Riley
“In school productions, I was always villager No. 7. I was never at the front of the stage dancing and never had any lines.”
― Rachel Riley
“I’m the sort of person who has to learn something properly before I show anyone.”
― Rachel Riley
“University was a shock to the system. At times, I really thought I couldn’t do it. It’s the same with ‘Strictly.’ I’m completely out of my comfort zone.”
― Rachel Riley
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