Countdown recap for Tuesday 19 October 2021.
On this day in 2003, David Blaine ended his stint in a glass box suspended above the Thames, his 44th day of doing so. Mind you, it's worth it for losing 5 stone, says Anne.
C1: Champion Jasamrit Rahala (1 win, 83 points.) Former child genius.
C2: Challenger Andrew Adams. From East London. Works for a bank looking after corporate customers.
DC: Susie Dent and Lesley Joseph, the sixth Strictly partner of Anton du Beke to be in Strictly, which means that now a third of Anton's partners have been in Dictionary Corner. Len Goodman is in the crazy chair next week too.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: H N S A I M D A L
R02: R N I L P E T E R
R03: 75, 100, 8, 1, 5, 2. Target: 968.
TTT: RUDEBOSS - "They might be delivered to you, but you can't open them yourself."
R04: D M O S I G B A O
R05: N E E C R W S D I
R06: 75, 8, 10, 2, 7, 2. Target: 125.
R07: S O O Y R L P A K
R08: T S U N E D M I C
R09: 25, 75, 50, 4, 5, 8. Target: 150.
TTT: HAMROBOT - "The suite was lacking in taste, even though it was avocado."
R10: R L U H I N G O T
R11: P A A T F E D G R
R12: P O N V E R U Q D
R13: L A E G A T R O E
R14: 75, 9, 2, 4, 5, 5. Target: 271.
R15: T I N I C O N D O (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: H N S A I M D A L
Jasamrit: SALAMI (6)
Andrew: SANDAL (6)
DC: ANIMALS (7) MAIDANS (7)
OT: ADALINS (7) ALISMAD (7) DAHLIAS (7) MANDALS (7) SAMADHI (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
Sevens get us underway, with both contestants only on six.
Round 2: R N I L P E T E R
Jasamrit: tripler
Andrew: RENTIER (7) (try)
DC: REPTILE (7) PENTILE (7)
OT: PELERIN (7) PERLITE (7) PRINTER (7) PTERINE (7) REINTER (7) RELINER (7) REPINER (7) REPLIER (7) REPRINT (7) RIPENER (7) TERRINE (7)
Score: 6–13 (max 14, jos 14)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)
TRIPLER is not a try, whereas RENTIER is, and amazingly RENTIER is valid whereas TRIPLER^ is not. More sevens here, take your pick.
Round 3: 75, 100, 8, 1, 5, 2. Target: 968.
Jasamrit: 972.
Andrew: 968. (8 + 1) × 100 + 75 − 5 − 2 (10)
Score: 6–23 (max 24, jos 24)
I thought Jasamrit said 970, but Anne said 972, so I guess that's what we're taking down. Anyway, this is easier than it looks and the solution is essentially, er, 900 + 68.
Teatime teaser: RUDEBOSS -> ROSEBUDS
"You can't open them yourself." I'm assuming Damian hasn't heard of the other meaning of rosebud, because you can DEFINITELY open that by yourself...
Round 4: D M O S I G B A O
Jasamrit: MAIDS (5)
Andrew: BOSOM (5)
DC: AMIGOS (6) GAMBOS (6)
OT: ADOBOS (6) BIOGAS (6) DOGMAS (6) IMAGOS (6) OMIGOD (6)
Score: 11–28 (max 30, jos 30)
Darren-o-meter: 0/3 (0%)
Jasamrit and Andrew are both on five here, and once again a plethora of sixes go begging.
Jasamrit talks about when he was also on "Britain's Brightest Family".
Round 5: N E E C R W S D I
Jasamrit: SCREWED (7)
Andrew: SCREWED (7)
DC: SINCERE (7) WINDERS (7) DECRIES (7) RESCIND (7)
OT: WIDENERS (8)
Score: 18–35 (max 38, jos 37)
Darren-o-meter: 1/4 (25%)
Both contestants screw around on seven. Susie is a tad upset she doesn't see the eight - it was there, I'm afraid...
When Andrew isn't doing specialist advice, he used to do some part-time dick jockeying. Does a lot of running too.
Round 6: 75, 8, 10, 2, 7, 2. Target: 125.
Jasamrit: 125. (7 − 2) × 10 + 75 (10)
Andrew: 125. (7 − 2) × 10 + 75 (10)
Score: 28–45 (max 48, jos 47)
thank u, next
Lesley talks about when she was on Strictly Come Dancing, dancing with Anton. It was, in fairness, an awful pairing given their height difference (which matters a lot in dancing), and she kept some of her costumes. She also talked about doing the tour, and praises Anton's judging, having temporarily replaced Bruno Tonioli due to Covid (if you don't watch). He should replace Motsi permanently when Bruno comes back. Anyway, back to the Countdown...
Round 7: S O O Y R L P A K
Jasamrit: SPARKY (6)
Andrew: POLAR (5)
DC: SPARKLY (7) POOKAS (6)
OT: PYROLAS (7)
Score: 34–45 (max 55, jos 54)
Darren-o-meter: 1/5 (20%)
SPARKLY doesn't really jump out at you immediately, but once Jasamrit declares SPARKY, Lesley puts him out of his misery.
Round 8: T S U N E D M I C
Jasamrit: MEDICS (6)
Andrew: TUNICS (6)
DC: CUMIN (5) MINUETS (7) MISTUNED (8)
OT: UNMISTED (8)
Score: 40–51 (max 63, jos 62)
Darren-o-meter: 1/6 (17%)
Both contestants on six, whereas MISTUNED, which I declared tentatively in Aptochat, is in.
Round 9: 25, 75, 50, 4, 5, 8. Target: 150.
Jasamrit: 150. 8 ÷ 4 × 75 (10)
Andrew: 150. 8 ÷ 4 × 75 (10)
Score: 50–61 (max 73, jos 72)
thank u, next - although I'm disappointed no one visited 3750 on their way there.
Teatime teaser: HAMROBOT -> BATHROOM
Round 10: R L U H I N G O T
Jasamrit: HURLING (7)
Andrew: HURLING (7)
DC: TOURING (7) HURTLING (8)
Score: 57–68 (max 81, jos 80)
Darren-o-meter: 2/7 (29%)
Once again, you can slot a consonant in a contestant's word to make a longer one - HURTLING is the darren and it's well spotted by Lesley.
Round 11: P A A T F E D G R
Jasamrit: GRAFTED (7)
Andrew: GRATED (6)
OT: ADAPTER (7) GRADATE (7) PARTAGE (7) READAPT (7)
Score: 64–68 (max 88, jos 87)
Darren-o-meter: 2/8 (25%)
Jasamrit gets himself back in it with a seven, and the gap comes down to four points.
OOW Susie gives the origin of the letter X, and why it has come to represent a kiss. xoxo luv u
Round 12: P O N V E R U Q D
Jasamrit: PROVEN (6)
Andrew: PONDER (6)
DC: PROVED (6) UNPROVED (8)
Score: 70–74 (max 96, jos 95)
Darren-o-meter: 3/9 (33%)
UNPROVED is a great spot from Lesley and gets the darren, with both contestants on six.
Round 13: L A E G A T R O E
Jasamrit: relegate (try - phantom E)
Andrew: LEGATOR (7) (try)
OT: AREOLATE (8)
Score: 70–81 (max 104, jos 102)
Darren-o-meter: 4/10 (40%)
RELEGATE^ has a phantom E, so Andrew's try of LEGATOR gets him above 10. We've already had two Arianas... will we have a third?
Round 14: 75, 9, 2, 4, 5, 5. Target: 271.
Jasamrit: 271. (75 − 5) × 4 − 9 (10)
Andrew: 271. (not written down) Timed out by Rachel!
Score: 80–81 (max 114, jos 112)
Oof. Andrew is timed out, which is VERY harsh given he only needed to say "minus nine" and it wasn't written down. I guess because it was crucial, she was harsher on him... but if he loses here, that will be an interesting discussion in the coming days.
Round 15: T I N I C O N D O
Jasamrit buzzes on 1.5 second to say CONDITION which is correct.
Final Score: 90–81 (max 124, jos 122)
And Jasamrit steals it! Wow. What an ending. What a controversy too.
We'll be back soon-ish, probably out of order again. Goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84