And as this show is only in a 35-minute slot, and has celebrities, it is naturally a 7-rounder.
Oh well, let's hope our new celebrity guests can make the show gleam in their limited time available.
Countdown recap for Monday 2 January 2012.
C1: 8 Out of 10 Cats Team Captain Sean Lock. A stand-up comedian from Woking. A Chelsea fan who likes drinking and smoking, and who used to be described as "the grumpy one from 8 Out Of 10 Cats", but is now referred to as "the other grumpy one from 8 Out Of 10 Cats".
C2: 8 Out of 10 Cats Team Captain Jon Richardson. A stand-up comedian who until recently, lived in Swindon. He describes his hobbies as cooking for 1, solitaire, weeping himself to sleep.
DC: Susie Dent and Joe Wilkinson.
RR: Rachel Riley.
Host: 8 Out of 10 Cats Host Jimmy Carr
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: E C A E H P I K C
R02: R S G A E L A O G
R03: 50, 9, 6, 3, 4, 2. Target: 153.
TTT: PACEANUS - "Heated from the bottom"
R04: P T E A M I R O G
R05: U H P R E O E W N
R06: 50, 25, 10, 3, 5, 2. Target: 981.
R07: P O R K S A W E D (conundrum)
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Round 1: E C A E H P I K C
Jimmy's Distraction (which he does during every round): Dancing with his arms while sitting down. (Note also the audience laughter throughout
)C1: CHEAP/CHEEP - since we didn't hear which one it was (5)
C2: PEACE/PIECE - since we didn't hear which one it was (5)
DC: PEACHICK (8) CHICKPEA (8)
Score: 5–5 (max 8)
After Sean does a "Peter Bennett" by declaring 10, both contestants get 5's which have similar sounding 5's available in the selection too, so I'll put both down. Make your mind up!
DC goes double 8 in the meantime.Round 2: R S G A E L A O G
Jimmy's Distraction: Uses binoculars to look at Rachel from afar.
C1: GALES (5)
C2: GARAGES (7)
DC: LAGER (5) AREOLA (6) areolas (It's AREOLAE)
OT: AGAROSE (7) GALAGOS (7) GAOLERS (7) GARGLES (7) LAAGERS (7) LAGARES (7) LAGGERS (7) LOGGERS (7) SLOGGER (7)
Score: 5–12 (max 15)
Jon impresses Susie with his 7, while there are laughs aplenty with the describing of AREOLA to everyone.........
Round 3: 50, 9, 6, 3, 4, 2. Target: 153.
Jimmy's Distraction: Gets out some maracas, while Sean & Joe discuss their weekend plans.
C1: 153. (3 x 50) + (6 / 2) (10)
C2: 153. (3 x 50) + (6 / 2) (10)
Score: 15–22 (max 25)
Nice and simple. Moving on...........
Joe gets out his collection of Susie Dent memorabilia, which includes some bunting, fudge, cap (which he wears during all of Part 2), power tools, a snow globe and a special pen which does something if you turn it upside down..............
Teatime teaser: PACEANUS -> SAUCEPAN
Round 4: P T E A M I R O G
Jimmy's Distraction: Trying to solve a Rubik's Cube, then magically solving it 3 seconds after seeming like it was nowhere near completion.
C1: PIRATE (6)
C2: GREAT (5)
DC: PRIMATE (7)
OT: EMPORIA (7) EPIGRAM (7) MIGRATE (7) PORTAGE (7) POTAGER (7) RAGTIME (7)
Score: 21–22 (max 32)
Sean's back in it after Jon's "not so GREAT" 5.
Round 5: U H P R E O E W N
Jimmy's Distraction: Waving and blowing kisses at Rachel.
C1: PRUNE (5)
C2: REOPEN, as in "I REOPENed a can of whoopass on Sean!
(6) - then spotted WHEREUPON (18) 
DC: WHEREON (7)
Score: 21–28 (max 50)
Jon's lead returns to 7, but even more shockingly, Susie misses WHEREUPON, just seconds after showing WHEREON (as well as Joe's beard) with the pencam
Round 6: 50, 25, 10, 3, 5, 2. Target: 981.
Jimmy's Distraction: Drinking from a William G. Stewart mug, and also giving the contestants 10 extra seconds to solve it.
C1: 985.
C2: 978. (2 x 50 x 10) - 25 + 3 (7 - realised just after that he could've added the 5 instead for 980
)RR: 981. (((50 x 10) + 3) x 2) - 25 (10)
Score: 21–35 (max 60)
After the additional 10 seconds to the Steptoe & Son music, Jon gets 3 away (which he quickly realises that it could've been 1 away........
) to seal the match, Rachel shows us how it's done, as per normal.Round 7: P O R K S A W E D
C2 buzzes on 27.75 seconds to say SPADEWORK which he thought was wrong, but is actually correct.
Final Score: 21–45 (max 70)
An impressive finish by the Leeds United fan (not the first time today by them), and even though this was played with brilliant comedy value, Jon actually showed signs of brilliance, especially solving that conundrum, which wasn't that easy (6/10 on Apterous, actually).
Statistics Corner
Sean:
Total score - 21
Raw score - 38
Total % of max - 30
Raw % of max - 54
Total average score per round - 3.0
Raw average score per round - 5.4
Number of maxes - 1
Jon:
Total score - 45
Raw score - 50
Total % of max - 64
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 6.4
Raw average score per round - 7.1
Number of maxes - 3
So, that's it for me for now.
Join me on Pointless tomorrow, or here next Wednesday for my 1st Nick Hewer-hosted recap.
Till then, bye bye.
