She began a level at Oxford aged 15 and was awarded a masters by 20. So it’s little surprise Anne-Marie Imafidon has turn into Countdown’s maths knowledgeable.
And, as she and her 4 siblings all handed GCSE maths earlier than the age of ten, her household has a robust declare to be the brainiest in Britain.
Anne-Marie, 31, has turn into the primary black co-presenter on the Channel 4 present, standing in for Rachel Riley on maternity depart.
She is hoping to encourage youngsters to intention as excessive as she and her siblings did. ‘Countdown is an establishment and I like maths,’ she stated.
‘If I’m able to encourage only one extra arithmetician or a mathematician by being my genuine self on display screen then I’m completely happy to have the ability to take up that area and present a distinct facet of what arithmeticians can appear to be.’
Anne-Marie Imafidon, 31, has turn into the primary black co-presenter on the Channel 4 present, standing in for Rachel Riley on maternity depart. As she and her 4 siblings all handed GCSE maths earlier than the age of ten, her household has a robust declare to be the brainiest in Britain
Anne-Marie (pictured) is hoping to encourage youngsters to intention as excessive as she and her siblings did. ‘Countdown is an establishment and I like maths,’ she stated
Their father, Nigerian-born Professor Chris Imafidon, believes the formulation for his or her success is straightforward, however the UK schooling system has continued to get it mistaken.
He stated: ‘All we have to know is what makes a toddler tick and permit them to discover that inclination.
‘After we noticed one in every of our kids present curiosity in direction of music, for instance, we allowed her to have interaction with it with out age being an element.’
Anne-Marie speaks six languages and began an Oxford diploma at 15, turning into one of many youngest to be awarded a grasp’s by the college at simply 20.
Her father stated: ‘Anne-Marie was seven once we began giving her more durable work – however she was by no means instructed the questions weren’t for her age group. She wanted to transcend the tempo and scope of the curriculum.’
The failure of the schooling system to encourage others meant Professor Imafidon had blended emotions when she joined Countdown final month.
‘On Countdown individuals appear to freeze with regards to numbers. They assume maths is a troublesome idea and it simply turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy,’ he stated.
The remainder of the household is equally exceptional. Anne-Marie’s sister Christiana, now 28, grew to become a record-breaker when she studied at Durham College at 11.
She is working in monetary expertise, with levels from Oxford and the College of Pennsylvania.
Samantha, 24, who works for Microsoft, handed her maths and statistics GCSE examination aged six.
Three years later in 2007, she grew to become the UK’s youngest baby to start out secondary college.
Twins Peter and Paula, 21, handed GCSE maths aged six. A 12 months later, they grew to become the youngest to go it at A-level.
Anne-Marie with Countdown host Anne Robinson (centre), and Susie Dent of ‘Dictionary Nook’. ‘If I’m able to encourage only one extra arithmetician or a mathematician by being my genuine self on display screen then I’m completely happy to have the ability to take up that area and present a distinct facet of what arithmeticians can appear to be,’ stated Anne-Marie
They broke one other file in 2009 by, aged eight, passing the College of Cambridge’s superior arithmetic examination.
And the one ‘rise up’ Professor Imafidon confronted was in his youngsters’s completely different studying types.
He stated: ‘No two learn the identical topic – they had been allowed to decide on what they went into.
‘As a result of they had been rewarded, they by no means noticed what they had been doing as learning – it was like they had been pursuing their ardour, whether or not it’s in maths, musical devices or sports activities.’