‘Romance is off my radar’: Countdown’s Susie Dent says she’s not looking for a date after splitting from her husband of 20 years last year
- Lexicographer Susie Dent said romance was “absolutely off my radar” after the breakup.
- She revealed friends were trying to set her up with a caretaker from Eton College
- However, Ms Dent said she is “not looking for anyone” and likes her own company
- Ms Dent’s marriage to her husband, Paul Atkins, of 20, ended last year
As the show’s brilliant wordsmith on Dictionary Corner, she regularly amazes Countdown attendees and fans alike.
But there’s one word Susie Dent can’t get out of her mouth right now: dating.
The lexicographer told You magazine today that romance was “absolutely off my radar” after her split from her husband of 20 years, Paul Atkins, last year.
She reveals friends recently tried to set her up with a caretaker at top school Eton College, but says: “I’m not looking for anyone at all. I’ve always liked my own company.”
And she wouldn’t dream of looking for love on an online dating service like Tinder and saying, “I wouldn’t even think of putting myself on a dating app for a second.”
Lexicographer Susie Dent told You magazine today that romance was “absolutely off my radar” after her split from her husband of 20 years, Paul Atkins, last year.
Instead, friends tried to set her up with a new partner, most recently a caretaker from Eton. But the 57-year-old Oxford graduate, who speaks fluent French and German, admits she feels “completely invisible” as she ages.
“I think that comes with age. It’s kind of positive and not so positive. I’m not that sexualized at all. Therein lies freedom. But there’s also a slight regret to have left that behind,” she says.
“I feel completely invisible. I feel like I’m outta there [dating] sphere at the moment. I just wouldn’t classify myself as a dateable entity… I really like that the pressure is off. I don’t have to prove anything. I don’t really feel like I need anyone.’
Susie says she was initially hesitant to join Countdown when she was first approached 30 years ago while attending Princeton. “It’s not like I wanted to be on TV,” says Dent, who admits she’s always been “very confident.”
But she joined the cult teatime show in 1992 and has worked with close friend and confidant Rachel Riley for the past 13 years. She says the math guru complements her “worry” persona.
She reveals friends recently tried to set her up with a caretaker at top school Eton College, but says: “I’m not looking for anyone at all. I’ve always liked my own company.”
“Rachel is incredibly loyal and supportive,” she said. “She’s amazing with both words and numbers so she really appreciates that side of me which is great. But she also takes care of my worries a bit because she’s the least anxious person I know.”
In addition to her Countdown career, Susie is a prolific writer. She recently published her 13th book, An Emotional Dictionary, in which she explores words to describe every feeling and emotion.
For now, however, Susie is focused on her children Lucy, 22, and 14-year-old Thea. “My daughters are my life,” she says. “When you have children, you give them so much of yourself that – rightly so, I think – you lose the person you were before.
“In a way, that’s absolutely beautiful and in another way, at the end of raising your kids, you have to think again and redefine yourself a little bit. That time will come and I’m not sure yet.’
Interview: You Magazine