Susie Dent

Susie Dent is best known for her role on the Channel Four programme Countdown, where she acts as a lexicographer and judges the letter rounds of the game show. In 'Dictionary Corner' is where her expertise is put to the test, testing her knowledge of lexicography and etymology. Being a regular on the show every year since 1992, Susie has earned quite the reputation in the eye of the general public. Susie found her love for words when she studied at Somerville College, Oxford for a degree in modern languages. She achieved a BA in modern languages, and then went on to study at Princeton University where she earnt herself a masters degree in German. After university Susie pursued her love for words, joining the cast of the game show Countdown as well as working for the Oxford University Press. At the Oxford University Press Susie worked on producing dictionaries, this time producing English dictionaries after previously working with bilingual dictionaries. Susie's role on Countdown was pivotal to her expertise in language, providing brief commentary on where a word or phrase originated from.

Susie is famed for being the longest-serving member of the team on Countdown, having made an astonishing 2500 appearances since her debut in 1992. In addition to her time on the show, Susie also shared her knowledge with the show 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. This programme is a comedy version of Countdown, taking on the same format of spelling out words from a set of vowels and consonants but with a humorous twist. As well as 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Susie has also appeared in the sitcom Not Going Out and the BBC entertainment show Would I Lie To You. Recently in 2018 she also appeared on a collection of episodes of House Of Games. Susie also had her own programme that was pivotal to her expertise of etymology, titled Susie Dent's Guide to Swearing. This programme saw Susie researching into the history and etymology of some of the English swear words.

Alongside television work, Susie has also turned her hand to a number of other mediums. In 2019 she launched her own podcast, titled Something Rhymes With Purple which she co-hosts with Gyles Brandeth. Writing is also another of Susie's talents, having published a number of language-based books. Between 2003 and 2007 Susie published a number of language reports, which were done for the Oxford University Press. The series of reports were titled The Language Report, Larpers and Shroomers, Fanboys and Overdogs, The Like, Language Report for Real and finally The Language Report: English on the Move. She later went on to produce Word of the Year, How To Talk Like a Local, What Made the Crocodile Cry? 101 Questions About the English Language, Susie Dent's Weird Words and Dent's Modern Tribes: The Secret Languages of Britain.