Sorry for the lateness but here is Tuesday's recap.
C1: Champion Dylan Taylor (5 wins, 600 points.) Born in Honduras, but living in Hampton, Cheshire, he has taken the show by storm so far. He needs to average 122 points per game in his last three to break Giles' Hutchings octochamp record.
C2: Challenger Leone Mitchell. From Dublin, she works for her husband's conference company. In 2003, she helped to organise the Special Olympics, held in Dublin, where she held the role of project manager.
DC: Susie Dent and Gloria Hunniford.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: H T S A I O N P E
R02: N G T I A E S D R
R03: 50, 1, 10, 3, 7, 10. Target: 112.
TTT: RODCALLS - "You wouldn't say they were cruel, but they're definitely heartless"
R04: D S V O I E T H G
R05: A R T Q O I R P O
R06: 100, 10, 1, 5, 6, 2. Target: 188.
R07: U E B S R A E Z I
R08: P B A O E W C T A
R09: 75, 7, 9, 3, 3, 9. Target: 852.
TTT: REDELVIS - "Brings round the cricket ball, perhaps?"
R10: N F X U A E I N F
R11: L K R O E O L M S
R12: E I O V G N S N A
R13: G S T E L U A R O
R14: 75, 9, 3, 10, 2, 10. Target: 165
R15: H O L Y T A N G O (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: H T S A I O N P E
C1: PANTIHOSE (18)
C2: HASTEN (6)
DC: PANTIES (7) SATPHONE (8) PHONATES (8) PHAETONS (8) STANHOPE (8)
Score: 18-0 (max 18)
Now that is some way to start the show! Dylan comes up with a fantastic nine which DC could only stand back and admire.
Round 2: N G T I A E S D R
C1: GRADIENTS (18)
C2: DESIGN (6)
Score: 36-0 (max 36)
Wow, this is incredible!
Dylan achieves something which to my knowledge, only happens roughly once every fifteen years on the show. That is getting a nine in both of the opening two rounds, which Jill Bright also managed in 1998. http://wiki.apterous.org/Episode_2271 This could be a very long afternoon for Leone, who is already in an unenviable position.Round 3: 50, 1, 10, 3, 7, 10. Target: 112.
C1: 112. (10 + 10 - 3 - 1) x 7 (10)
C2: 112 X
Score: 46–0 (max 46)
Ouch! Leone gets to 122 and all she has to do is take off the remaining 10 to get the points. However, she admits she's gone wrong and the chance is gone. I know all about that from Co:Bliv last week.
Teatime teaser: DEEPLEGS -> PLEDGEES
Round 4: D S V O I E T H G
C1: VOIDEST (7)
C2: DOTIVES X
DC: SIGHTED (7) OGIVES (6)
OT: GHOSTED (7) HOISTED (7)
Score: 53–0 (max 53)
Another winner for Dylan as Leone offers the invalid DOTIVES^, presumably thinking of DATIVES.
Round 5: A R T Q O I R P O
C1: AIRPORT (7)
C2: TORPOR (6)
DC: PARROT (6)
Score: 60-0 (max 60)
Dylan's flying as he spots the darrenic AIRPORT. Leone's just not having any luck. Her interesting word would at least tie with most ordinary contestants but Dylan's certainly not in that category.
Round 6: 100, 10, 1, 5, 6, 2. Target: 188.
C1: 188. (100 - 6) x 2 (10)
C2: 188. (100 - 6) x 2 (10)
Score: 70-10 (max 70)
Another easy numbers game sees Leone finally get on the scoreboard.
Dan reveals his policy of never asking anyone for an autograph except Pele. As well as signing giving his autograph, Pele also signed Dan's bag against his wishes so he asked him to stop. He now has a bag with "PE" written on it.
Gloria gives a talk on rip-off holidays. Apparently it's best not to book your hotel and flights separately. She reveals that a young girl was once electrocuted on holiday and ended up with a dislocated hip, needing a replacement. The family were unfortunately unable to sue the hotel adequately and it cost them a fortune.
Round 7: U E B S R A E Z I
C1: BRUISE (6)
C2: BRAZIERS X
DC: SUBERIZE (8)
Score: 76–10 (max 78)
Unlucky for Leone as you need two R's for BRAZIERS, easily done under studio pressure. DC come up with a great darren which means that the max game is off for Dylan.
Round 8: P B A O E W C T A
C1: COWPEA (6)
C2: BEAT (4)
DC: COWPAT (6)
OT: CAPOTE (6) TOECAP (6)
Score: 82-10 (max 84)
Dylan extends his lead even further with COWPEA, which seems to be fast becoming a new favourite of sorts. Interesting find by the corner too, not too dissimilar to Dylan's.
Round 9: 75, 7, 9, 3, 3, 9. Target: 852.
C1: 852. (75 - 7 + 3) x (9 + 3) (10)
C2: -
Score: 92–10 (max 94)
Dylan shows that this numbers game is a lot easier than it looks at first glance and going into the second interval, he is just two points off the max.
Teatime teaser: BASHELMS -> SHAMBLES
Round 10: N F X U A E I N F
C1: UNFIX (5)
C2: AFFIX (5)
DC: INANE (5) ANNEX (5)
OT: AFFINE (6) NUFFIN (6)
Score: 97–15 (max 100)
Not the nicest of rounds as no one can beat five. There were a couple of sixes hiding though.
Round 11: L K R O E O L M S
C1: LOOKERS (7)
C2: LOOKERS (7)
DC: SMOKER (6) MORELLOS (8)
Score: 104–22 (max 108)
DC find the max this time as the contestants are both LOOKERS, although they obviously didn't look hard enough.
OoW: Susie talks about horses and the terms with "horse" in the name.
Round 12: E I O V G N S N A
C1: VENISON (7)
C2: NOSING (6)
DC: NONAGES (7)
OT: AGONIES (7) AGONISE (7) EVASION (7) NOVENAS (7)
Score: 111-22 (max 115)
Dylan's no stranger to mispronouncing words, as we saw in the "mate lots" round on Thursday. This time he pronounces VENISON as "van is on" before correcting himself. It's finding the words that counts though and he has yet another winner.
Round 13: G S T E L U A R O
C1: GLOATERS (8)
C2: LEGATOS (7)
DC: OUTRAGES (8)
OT: GESTURAL (8) LEGATORS (8)
Score: 119-22 (max 123)
A final A, E or I would have produced a third nine and given Dylan a chance to beat the highest score ever. Instead, he has to be content with an eight.
Round 14: 75, 9, 3, 10, 2, 10. Target: 165
C1: 165. 10 x 9 + 75 (10)
C2: 163.
Score: 129–22 (max 111)
Dylan makes light work of this numbers game to extend his lead to over 100. If he gets this conundrum, he'll not only top the highest score of the series (Zarte's 137 two weeks ago) but will also record the highest winning margin in Countdown history. Tom Barnes currently holds the record with his 119-7 win against Christine Buffrey, can Dylan top that by five?
Round 15: H O L Y T A N G O
No one buzzes. The answer was ANTHOLOGY.
Final Score: 129-22 (max 143)
Dylan has not had the easiest of conundrums so far, as you can tell by the fact that a player of his quality has failed to solve three out of the six he's faced. It means that he has missed out on the chance to claim the highest score of the series so far but he has at least beaten his previous best of 124. Spare a thought for Leone as it's difficult enough having to play Dylan at all and to see him get two quickfire nines must have been demoralising.
Join James tomorrow for Dylan's seventh game, then on Thursday for what will surely be his octochamp game on Thursday. He is now on a huge 729 points after six games, so he needs 236 more to equal Giles Hutchings' record and 237 to better it. Could there be history in the making? I'll be back next Tuesday for the final Countdown of the week (Yes, I think it's the bloody racing again that's to blame) where there will be two different contestants in the chair. See you all then!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=69
