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CECIL
CECIL is the acronym that stands for Countdown's Electronic Calculator In Leeds. CECIL's name is also a tribute to former Channel 4 Head of Entertainment Cecil Korer, who commissioned the show back in 1982. An acknowledged homage to ERNIE, the machine that picks the premium bond numbers each week, CECIL isn't actually a calculator but a random number generator, picking a three-digit number between 101 and 999 inclusive (originally 100 was also included) on demand each numbers game.
Sadly, Korker died on 13 October 2011, aged 86.
On occasion, though, CECIL has been known to develop a mind of his own. CECIL's sense of occasion (or lack of it) has often been remarked upon. "He" seems to have a tendency to offer incongrously easy targets at crucial moments, such as in series finals, or in Rachel Riley's first numbers game (pictured, right).
