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I once worked with Carol Vorderman. I have great respect for her intellect and she is a truly charming person. But nobody is worth £5 million for appearing on the box. It's nearly as bad as overpaid footballers. Nearly. Better than that awful Vanessa Feltz, though.
Guy Chapman, UK

It is not her fault that the TV companies pay so much! She happens to be very fortunate.
Hannah Jones, UK

Yes. You must put this into perspective. This is big business, and there are many big-business men and women making far more than that. Because this is a media enterprise it is more visible. It's nothing compared to what Americans in Hollywood make. I just hope she puts some of that money into good social causes, because I've lived in a third-world country and I know how many people in this world live. If Carol Vorderman has found a way to make a lot of money, more power to her.
David Burroughs, U.S.A.

Why not replace her with a computer. It will be able to do the sums correctly and will probably have more personality than her and less of a superior attitude.
R Redhead, UK

She's a brain and a national institution. We should pay a high price to retain the quality of an increasingly downmarket television schedule. If we don't pay her a large salary then she'll move into banking where we'll be deprived of her charms.
Matt Berry, UK

No way - of course no one is worth that amount of money. In some parts of the world life is worth nothing and we are so pleased about her staying on for the measly sum of 5 million quid. I can't believe these ratings - are you all brainwashed or what?
Anthony Aykut, Belgium

How can anyone justify this sort of payscale. Look at the whole world picture and one can count many reasons why this pay scale is obscene. So, she can add up, so can I.
Les Baker, USA

Yes, she is. Many personalities get far more than one million per year - what about footballers who reportedly coin several thousand for a one and a half hour game? And don't forget that she personally won't earn that much, she will have a management company, and what about the Inland Revenue?
Keith Lomax, UK

It would be interesting to find out CV's pay relative to the show's charismatic host.
Douglas Stewart, New Zealand

I am British and one of the greatest television 'holes' in my life is Countdown. Challenging, entertaining and spirited. Carol is sexy and clever, a potent combination.
Richard, USA

Well, Channel Four makes its own money and it can do what it likes with it. However, if I was a licence payer (I don't have a TV at the moment) I would object to the salaries that some of the BBC's presenters are paid. I heard that Zoe Ball gets £1.5m a year which is way too much. I'm sure there are thousands of equally talented people out there who'd do the job for a fraction of that - as with Carol Vorderman, I suppose.
Richard Galloway UK

My arithmetic is as good as hers - actually it's better, give us 5 million.
Ruaridh Shuttleworth, Scotland

She is intelligent, good looking (needs to work out a bit more) and can communicate with people. She's not perfect but that just adds to her appeal. Perfect looking people usually lack in the intelligence department anyway.
Simon Constable, Great Britain

There are plenty of younger just as talented presenters who would be willing to work for a fraction of the amount.
C Bonnett, Scotland

Why be jealous of success? Yes, to most of us it's a large sum but if that's what people are prepared to pay her then good for her.
R Hyde, UK

I have not even heard of this Carol Vorderman. But whoever she is, that sort of money is crazy for a (part time) game show hostess. Channel 4 must have more money than sense.
Brian Hunt, UK

Anything that takes one's mind off the egregious Richard Whiteley is worth £5m. Simple as that.
Pete Fenelon, UK

I like Carol, but this is silly money. The show is popular, but not that popular! It could certainly exist without her. A good salary yes, but not an amount which belies the shows status. Big international productions which we can sell abroad, and new upcoming talent should be supported with amounts like this. If you mentioned this to the people who made this offer, they would have probably laughed. Enough said, really.
G Gibson, Canada

Worth every penny. I wish I had five million to get her myself.
Alan Lewis, England

I lived in the UK for almost 3 years. Truly my greatest discovery in that time was Carol Vorderman - the sexiest woman on television - in the world!
Richard Stewart, New Zealand

5 million is totally ridiculous. That money could be used to fund more productions that Channel four is so good at. Is there nobody else capable of the numbers game. I could do it, I'm younger and a damn site cheaper!!
Philip Levy, UK

Work out the arithmetic in your head - cheat a little. 250 shows at a million pounds a year is £4,000 per show which with 4 million viewers per show is 1/10th of a penny per viewer. Cheap isn't it?
Brun, France

Of course she isn't worth £5 million. I don't think anyone is worth that much. Isn't it funny though, how we are willing to pay one person £5 million when there are hundreds of people sleeping rough on our streets at night, where there are families living in poverty because people cannot get jobs. There is easily enough money to go round to give each and every person on this planet a decent life, yet so much money gets spent on so few. Is entertainment worth it?
Jon Brownridge, England

In USA recently, baseball players are being awarded salaries in the $13million p.a. range. I think it's marvellous that maths ability is finally recognised in the UK. Hopefully this will encourage youngsters to work harder at math in school. Besides that, she's gorgeous!
Geraint Lewis

She is brilliant! The speed in which she works out the countdown calculations is very impressive.
Chris Prior, Australia

Given that good looking presenters increase viewing figures, how many other female presenters are capable of the feats of mental arithmetic that Carol Vorderman can perform?
Paul Floyd, France

This has nothing to do with 'society', and nothing to do with nurses salaries. An institution and an individual are entering into a voluntary agreement. Channel 4 writing a cheque to the NHS was never an alternative.
Nick Tosh, UK

Things are worth whatever people are prepared to pay. Simple economics.
Phil Buckley-Mellor, UK

She is definitely worth the £5m because she is the one woman who has shown that you don't need to be a bimbo to be on television. I think that she has done wonders for women in terms of showing that intelligence makes a woman more attractive than skimpy clothes and a bucket full of make-up.
Bobby Sharma, UK

I graduated with a degree in Mathematics in 1994 and I work as a insurance claims examiner. Any chance Carol Vorderman is leaving soon?
Brian Colby, USA

If Carol can earn this sort of money, who could blame her for doing so? However, is she worth it?...Get real!
Ray Gilbert, United States

Ms Vorderman is an attractive, intelligent lady, but no-one is worth £5 million for 40 days work. And make no mistake, Channel 4 isn't paying her £5 million - ultimately, we are. What a sad, sick country we are when we're prepared to pay more for a few hours of light entertainment than for our social and welfare services.
John Luby, Scotland

No presenter is 'worth' that amount, but that is not the point. Market forces determine how much she will get paid. So, she is worth that much to the people who contract her, but not that much to those who do not need to watch her.
Brian Champness, UK

£5 million for Carol Vorderman! What were the people at Channel 4 and Yorkshire Television thinking? I think that they should just re-think their ideas, and use that money to get a digital countdown clock.
Daniel Conboy, England

In comparison to the sums paid to some household names, I say she has worked hard to get where she is and good luck to her.
Dennis Townsend, UK

From a purely business angle, of course she's worth it. £5m is peanuts in terms of media turnover from advertising that her presence generates. The problem is moral. Is it right for anyone to earn such money for doing so little? When I watch such programs and think she earned more in one day than I do in a year, I simply can't enjoy seeing the smug little smile and turn off. Yes, I am bitter, but not at her for doing well, at the system for allowing it.
Mark Bailey, England

Talentless pop stars make more money than this.
Stephen Day, England

Was Richard Whitely's salary news? The only thing that is newsworthy here is that it took this long for Carol Vorderman to achieve salary parity with her co-host. That we pay large amounts to media 'personalities' may be scandalous, but Carol Vorderman's one million per year contract is hardly the most shocking.
M.E.O., Canada

If Tom Cruise is worth $20m per movie, then £5m for 5 years is good value.
David McAloone, UK

Whilst I fully appreciate Ms Vorderman's role as an inspiration for children to approach mental arithmetic without trepidation, I question who is worth £5m when most of us are lucky to have a roof over our head and a warm job to go to. What in heavens can you do with 5 million pounds? Something helpful I hope.
Imogen Allen, England

The world has gone mad! How can anyone be worth that kind of money for standing in front of a TV camera? What about people who deserve large salaries - nurses for instance? Crazy and a sad indictment of our society.
Wynne Wilson, USA

I'd like to see any of you do better. It's not like she's sweeping the road; she has to be damn accurate on the numbers game, and she has the personality, beauty, IQ and charm to make her a good person for the job. As to the £5m asking price, that's up to Channel 4. If that's a reflection of the money they're going to get in added revenue from adverts, then market research must agree that Carol is the right person for the job.
James Partington, England

As long as it isn't my licence fee that's paying for her inflated salary, Channel Four can do what it likes. On a more serious note - society seems to have its priorities wrong. Most nurses are paid around £12,000 a year - do we value a stint on a half hour quiz show more than we value our healthcare?
Mark White, GB

Sums + vague sex appeal = 5 million pounds? I think not.
Jon Worth, UK

She is worth every penny. The show would be nothing with out her and Richard Whitely.
C Withers, England

These salaries simply de-motivate ordinary working people, especially within the NHS and education sectors.
Richard Slee, England

No one is really worth this amount of money but in a free market economy anything goes. The alternative of a repressive, dictator-led regime doesn't appeal, so good luck to her!
T Smith, USA

Outrageous. Its a insult to normal people like me who work 40+ hours a week to receive a fraction of Ms Vorderman's earnings.
Paul Watson, Switzerland

It is only fair that Carol Vorderman has a percentage cut of the revenue that programme-makers get from broadcasting her talents.
Trystan Davies, UK

If, through her negotiating with her employers, she has managed to persuade them to award her such a sum, then yes, she is worth the money. Whether, or not, society has got its priorities right is another matter.
Tom Bowshall, Australia

Yes - simply because she wouldn't be paid it if she wasn't worth it. And it further demonstrates that she is a very clever lady.
Barrie Martindale, Canada

This is not about money earned per hour or second, it's about creating value. As long as the lady can deliver 4 million viewers, does the advertiser or the broadcaster really care whether she works 20 or 80 hour weeks?
EB, USA

Absolutely worth it. Bright, smart. brings a touch of class to late afternoons!
John Hennessy, Japan

She's a nice woman and good at what she does, but what kind of society are we that rates her talents at £5m?
Ian Anderson, UK

Although to the general public it may seem excessive, Ms. Vorderman is a good broadcaster and is able to put a varied array of presentation skills to the viewer. She also stands for a very high statue for morals and ethics, and therefore is able to use that as a very valuable PR tool. Congratulations Carol!
Michael D Finch, UK

Anyone that good looking and smart deserves the cash, and I haven't even seen the show.
Michael Mazur, USA

Carol Vorderman is worth every penny. Countdown is a British institution and long may it remain one. Frankly I feel Richard and Carol are underpaid. They are worth treble that, for their trademark witty banter and hilarious one liners. I hope they get more in future.
Richard, England

If her bosses are willing to paid that amount, then she is worth it.
Dennis Richard, USA

No one is worth that much.
Armen, Canada

Without Carol Vorderman on the show, who on earth would want to watch it?
RA, UK

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