TV presenter Anne Robinson has announced that she is leaving the game show The Weakest Link - and she will not be replaced. As a result the show - which she has hosted for 11 years and over 1,690 episodes - will come to an end when she quits in Spring 2012. "It's been superb, so it's a hard decision," Anne said in an interview with The Guardian. "If there's anything about longevity in television, it's about knowing what to take and what to turn down, and what to stop. It's often about what not to do any more." However she dismissed reports that she had left because of changes to her contract and rumours that her salary had been slashed. "My fee wasn't cut," Anne added. "I said I'd do 10 years and then, because we went to BBC Scotland and they were brilliant, I did a year more than I intended to do." The 66-year-old said she planned to focus on other projects including a second book. She will also continue as host of the BBC shows Watchdog and My Life In Books. By the time The Weakest Link comes to an end over 15,000 contestants will have taken part and more than 235,000 questions asked. Since she began the show in 2000 Anne has earned a reputation as the 'queen of mean' thanks to her cutting put-downs of contestants and her catchphrase "you are the weakest link, goodbye". BBC Daytime controller Liam Keelan told the BBC News website: "The Weakest Link has been a hugely important and much-loved part of the BBC's schedules for well over a decade. "But without Anne's iconic persona and acerbic wit, we have decided that we won't be recommissioning any new episodes following her departure."
