Countdown’s Rachel Riley has delivered a four-letter blast at George Galloway after he attacked her on Twitter for criticising alleged anti-Semitism in the Labour party.
The 32-year-old also accused the former Labour MP of being “anti-Semite scum”, telling him to "f***off."
Ms Riley revealed the online abuse she had received for speaking about anti-Semitism, most recently in Channel 4 podcast, Ways to Change the World, which was to mark 10 years of Countdown.
Ms Riley also hit out at alleged anti-Semitism in the Labour party, writing: “This culture has developed, with those who’ve created it, doing so in the name of today’s incarnation of Labour.
“There’s nothing kinder nor gentler about it.”
In another tweet, Ms Riley thanked Nick Hewer “and everyone else standing shoulder to shoulder with me and so many others, against bulltying and against anti-Semitism.”
Former Celebrity Big Brother contestant Mr Galloway responded to this tweet, writing: “Dumbfounding. She calls Chomsky ( or Chomski as she styles him) an anti-Semite and slanders half the Labour Party as the same. 1980’s left-wing comedy icon and all round gent backs...her! #Corbyn #Labour.”
To which Ms Riley replied: “F*** off George Galloway”, adding: “Today’s not the day I’m going to be polite to anti-Semite scum – to be explicit George Galloway.”
Before the spat, former QI presented Stephen Fry has tweeted he “stood” with Ms Riley, which Mr Galloway also hit out at.
He tweeted: “To be clear Stephen Fry Are you “standing by” Rachel Riley off Countdown as an arithmetician or because you too consider NoamChomsky (aka Chomski) to be an Anti-Semite?"
Last year, Ms Riley had revealed she had been called a “Tory, brainwashed and thick” for criticising Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the party.
