Well yesterday saw us say goodbye to our Octochamp Gerry Tynan, who retired gracefully having amassed enough points to knock Tracey Mills off her number 2 seed perch. This means that today we start afresh with two new contestants. Will Stuart Langford or Gavin Woolnough be able to emulate Gerry? Here's where we begin to find out. Enjoy.Countdown recap for Friday 17 April 2015.
C1: Challenger Stuart Langford. Professional poker player from Tipton, West Midlands.
C2: Challenger Gavin Woolnough. I.T. Manager from Horsham, West Sussex.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr Phillip Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: L R S A I E T R T
R02: R C D O A E S R O
R03: 2, 4, 50, 100, 25, 75. Target: 686.
TTT: CHEFRAMS - "Sometimes it's just about making the cuts."
R04: T S G E O A B S E
R05: C N D A I A H S O
R06: 10, 9, 4, 2, 3, 100. Target: 759.
R07: M K N D U A E S D
R08: H T N I E U V S A
R09: 6, 6, 9, 3, 4, 2, . Target: 695.
TTT: TACTPANE - "No need to go to Lourdes, it was cured in Italy."
R10: P T M O U E D R F
R11: T J R A E I G Y P
R12: S N L E U O R W I
R13: B Q V M U E O P E
R14: 1, 2, 6, 2, 4, 25. Target: 317.
R15: T H I E F M A S K (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: L R S A I E T R T
Stuart: TRAILERS (8)
Gavin: RETRIALS (8)
DC: REALIST (7) TARRIES (7)
OT: RATTLERS (8) RATTLIER (8) RETIRALS (8) STARTLER (8) TARRIEST (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)
It's 8 each to start with. TRAILERS and RETRIALS.
Round 2: R C D O A E S R O
Stuart: CORDS (5)
Gavin: RECORDS (7)
DC: DOORCASE (8) CORRODES (8)
Score: 8–15 (max 16)
Gavin RECORDS 7 points, as Stuart gets CORDS for 5.
Round 3: 2, 4, 50, 100, 25, 75. Target: 686.
Stuart: 677. (4 + 2) x 100 + 75 + (50 / 25) (5)
Gavin: -
RR: 686. (100 - 2) x ((75 / 25) + 4) (10)
Score: 13–15 (max 26)
A tricky numbers game sees Stuart claim 5 points for getting 9 away. Gavin didn't get close.
Teatime teaser: CHEFRAMS -> CHAMFERS
Round 4: T S G E O A B S E
Stuart: BOASTS (6)
Gavin: BEGETS (6)
DC: GOATEES (7)
Score: 19–21 (max 33)
It's 6 a piece with BOASTS and BEGETS.
Round 5: C N D A I A H S O
Stuart: danish
Gavin: CHAINS (6)
DC: HANDIS (6)
OT: ADHANS (6) ANCHOS (6) ANODIC (6) ASHCAN (6) CANIDS (6) CASINO (6) CHINAS (6) CHINOS (6) DACHAS (6) DANIOS (6) DHONIS (6) DIANAS (6) DIOCHS (6) NACHAS (6) NACHOS (6) NAIADS (6) SANDHI (6) SHAADI (6)
Score: 19–27 (max 39)
Stuart has 'danish' disallowed, as it is capitalised and there is no lower case form. Gavin CHAINS up another 6 points.
Round 6: 10, 9, 4, 2, 3, 100. Target: 759.
Stuart: -
Gavin: -
RR: 759. (100 x 3 x 10) / 4 + 9 (10)
Score: 19–27 (max 49)
No joy for either player in this numbers game. Rachel is left to show how 759 is done.
Dr Phil Hammond his experiences with patients who read his articles in 'Reveal'.
Round 7: M K N D U A E S D
Stuart: AMUSED (6)
Gavin: DUNKED (6)
DC: UNMASKED (8)
Score: 25–33 (max 57)
Stuart is AMUSED as Gavin DUNKED through the round. It's 6 points each.
Round 8: H T N I E U V S A
Stuart: vains
Gavin: SHAVEN (6)
DC: AUNTIES (7) NATIVES (7)
OT: EVANISH (7) SINUATE (7) VAINEST (7)
Score: 25–39 (max 64)
Stuart has 'vains' disallowed. Gavin is clean SHAVEN and scores 6 points.
Round 9: 6, 6, 9, 3, 4, 2. Target: 695.
Stuart: -
Gavin: -
OT: 696. ((( 9 x 6 ) + 4 ) x 6 ) x 2 (7)
Score: 25–39 (max 71)
Again nothing for the players in this numbers game. Rachel gets within 1, and a reliable source tells me this is the closest possible.
Teatime teaser: TACTPANE -> PANCETTA
Round 10: P T M O U E D R F
Stuart: - (0)
Gavin: TRUMPED (7)
OT: POMFRET (7) TROMPED (7)
Score: 25–46 (max 78)
Stuart uses an unspecified letter twice, so scores nothing. Gavin TRUMPED him and scored 7 points.
Round 11: T J R A E I G Y P
Stuart: PARTY (5)
Gavin: PARTY (5)
DC: GYRATE (6) GAIETY (6)
OT: GAITER (6) GRAPEY (6) JAPERY (6) PARGET (6) PARITY (6) PIRATE (6) PRATIE (6) PYRITE (6) TRIAGE (6)
Score: 30–51 (max 84)
It's PARTY time as both players score 5 points.
Susie talks about words named after people.
Round 12: S N L E U O R W I
Stuart: lenours
Gavin: WORSEN (6)
DC: SNOWIER (7) LESION (6)
OT: ELUSION (7) LOURIES (7) LOUSIER (7)
Score: 30–57 (max 91)
Another disallowed word for Stuart, this time 'lenours'. Gavin gets 6 points to WORSEN the situation.
Round 13: B Q V M U E O P E
Stuart: bone
Gavin: MOVE (4)
DC: VEEP
OT: POMBE (5)
Score: 30–61 (max 96)
Stuart isn't having much luck here. This time he sees an 'n' which isn't in the selection and declares 'bone'. Gavin makes a MOVE and gets 4 points.
Round 14: 1, 2, 6, 2, 4, 25. Target: 317.
Stuart: 316. Mistake in working.
Gavin: 324. (2 x 6) x (25 + 2) (5)
RR: 317. (25 x 2) + 2 x 6 + 4 + 1 (10)
Score: 30–66 (max 106)
And it's another mistake by Stuart as he uses a number twice trying to make 316. Gavin gets his first numbers points, 5 of them by getting 324. Rachel is then left to show the way to 317.
Round 15: T H I E F M A S K
Noone buzzes. The answer was MAKESHIFT
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=72
So Gavin Woolnough gets his first win in a low scoring game, littered with mistakes unfortunately. I suppose we've all been spoilt by Gerry Tynan in recent days, but you can't help but think Gavin will face much stronger opposition in the coming days. But he's off the mark, so we'll see. Join Andy McGurn on Monday to see if he can get his second win. I'm deputising for the holidaying JR on Wednesday, as my Friday slot has been once again - yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnn - taken over by Horseracing.
I hope you will join me then. In the meantime, thank you very much for reading, and goodbye. This website is not endorsed by or affiliated with Channel 4, the makers of Countdown, or any person associated with the aforementioned in any way whatsoever at all, never has been, never will be, and moreover is proud not to be. Yep.
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