Lynam said he would go now to "save the wear and tear". Cohost Carol Vorderman said he was "amazing" and a hit.

Discussions about moving filming from Leeds to London, to make it easier for Lynam, have now been scrapped. Many fans of the show were angry at the possibility that the quiz would leave its original home in Yorkshire.

Morgan said: "He is very sad as he has thoroughly enjoyed it and has had a great time. He has done it for nearly a year and a half and is leaving the show in pretty good shape, I think."

Lynam travelled 250 miles from his home in West Sussex, to the studios in Leeds. He said:

"We do five shows in a day which everybody finds extremely tiring.

It's the sort of schedule I don't want to commit myself to any more."