Why Do They Always Pick on Carol Vorderman?

The producers of Countdown, the UK game show, have offered Carol Vorderman a new contract at a 90% pay cut. She has refused.

It's pretty obvious that they don't want her to continue as they would have offered a more realistic pay cut (she suggested 35% - the budget cut percentage across all of C4) and are looking to produce a leaner, meaner show.

I seem to remember that Tomorrow's World thought they could do without Carol, using the fact she had an alleged conflict of interest to fire her. They subsequently asked her to return after the ratings plummeted. She refused.

Do they realize Carol won't budge? Or are they fooling themselves?

It doesn't really matter - the bad publicity from this and the celebrities that are backing Carol means that a) the management are going to look silly whatever happens, b) their authority is undermined and c) they will have their wish and their viewership will be leaner, the meaner ones having left!