Susie Dent is fascinated by 'Love Island'.
Susie Dent finds Love Island 'really interesting'
The 59-year-old linguist - who has appeared in the Dictionary Corner on 'Countdown' for more than 30 years - finds it "really interesting" that contestants on the ITV2 dating show often come up with new uses for existing words, or use some terminology that has in fact been around for centuries, seemingly without ever knowing it.
Speaking on ITV's 'Lorraine', she told stand-in host Andi Peters: "Misusing words can be hilarious. 'Love Island' is good for that. The word 'like' is the big thing on there.
"That goes back to the 18th century, though, 1778 is the first recorded use of 'like as a sandwich word. 1778 is the first record of 'Love Island is really interesting because they come up with new uses of existing words llike muggy or melt or whatever, so for a linguist, it's really interesting.
Despite having appeared on the Channel 4 teatime game show for decades, Susie also admitted that she still gets nervous whenever the clock starts ticking in her letters round and revealed that former presenter Richard Whiteley - who died in 2005 at the age of 61 - liked the famous tune so much that he carried it around as his ringtone.
"I still get nervous. When the clock starts ticking, my heart starts racing sometimes! Richard Whiteley, I remember, had it has his ringtone!"
Susie - who has just released her debut novel 'Guilty By Definition' - also features on the late night edition of the programme, '8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown' but admitted she was also "pretty nervous" for that version of the show until she got on set.
"The format really works, it's so brilliant. I was pretty nervous because I wondered what I was actually going to do, but actually we're just there to have the mickey taken out of us!"
Tagged in Susie Dent