Monday 14th February 2022 (Series 85, Preliminary 31)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Monday 14 February 2022.

C1: Champion Catriona Devaney (4 wins, 339 points.) A DBO validation officer from Barnaderg, County Galway.
C2: Challenger Peter Allan. A reward analyst from Aberdour, Fife, but originally from Aberdeen.
DC: Susie Dent and Geoff Norcott.
AMI: Anne-Marie Imafidon.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: E I E F R M S D A
R02: H C I E S R O N F
R03: 25, 4, 5, 6, 9, 3. Target: 106.
TTT: VEINGRIT - "A stimulating conversation about steel pin, perhaps?"
R04: T L E A P N E C T
R05: I E O M P D G T N
R06: 75, 9, 8, 7, 1, 9. Target: 526.
R07: A E O K J D S N R
R08: T D U I A M V R T
R09: 50, 9, 5, 4, 7, 8. Target: 365.
TTT: EATPILLS - "If you've a sore throat, don't eat pills, suck one of these."
R10: M S O A T L A G H
R11: U A O S L R W T E
R12: P S I O D E U G N
R13: I U E I P L T R N
R14: 7, 7, 8, 4, 2, 5. Target: 319.
R15: S I L V E R D Y E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: E I E F R M S D A

Catriona: ADMIRES (7)
Peter: dreamies
DC: MISFARED (8)
OT: DEFAMERS (8) DEFAMIES (8) FEARDIES (8) MADERISE (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)

Round 2: H C I E S R O N F

Catriona: CHOIRS (6)
Peter: CHOIRS (6)
DC: FORENSIC (8) CHORINES (8) CONFIERS (8) ROSEFINCH (18)
Score: 13–6 (max 26)

Round 3: 25, 4, 5, 6, 9, 3. Target: 106.

Catriona: 106. (25 x 4) + 6 (10)
Peter: 106. (25 x 4) + 6 (10)
Score: 23–16 (max 36)

Teatime teaser: VEINGRIT -> RIVETING

Round 4: T L E A P N E C T

Catriona: PLANET (6)
Peter: PLANET (6)
DC: NETTLE (6) PALETTE (7)
OT: PANCELET (8) PENTACLE (8) TENTACLE (8)
Score: 29–22 (max 44)

Round 5: I E O M P D G T N

Catriona: DEMOTING (8)
Peter: TEMPING (7)
OT: PIEDMONT (8)
Score: 37–22 (max 52)

Round 6: 75, 9, 8, 7, 1, 9. Target: 526.

Catriona: 526. (75 x 7) + 1 (10)
Peter: 526. (75 x 7) + 1 (10)
Score: 47–32 (max 62)

Geoff talks about his inspiration from his parents as he started stand-up comedy.

Round 7: A E O K J D S N R

Catriona: JOKERS (6)
Peter: JOKERS (6)
DC: JANKERS (7)
OT: DARKENS (7) SNARKED (7)
Score: 53–38 (max 69)

Round 8: T D U I A M V R T

Catriona: AUDIT (5)
Peter: DRAT (4)
DC: MARUDI (6) ATRIUM (6)
OT: MARUTI (6) RADIUM (6) TRADIT (6) TRIDUA (6)
Score: 58–38 (max 75)

Round 9: 50, 9, 5, 4, 7, 8. Target: 365.

Catriona: 365. ((50 + 5 - 4) x 7) + 8 (10)
Peter: 365. ((50 + 4) x 7) - (8 + 5) (10)
Score: 68–48 (max 85)

Teatime teaser: EATPILLS -> PASTILLE

Round 10: M S O A T L A G H

Catriona: GLOATS (6)
Peter: ALMOST (6)
DC: AGHAST (6)
OT: GHATAMS (7) MAHALOS (7) MALTHAS (7)
Score: 74–54 (max 92)

Round 11: U A O S L R W T E

Catriona: TROWELS (7)
Peter: OUTLAWS (7)
DC: LASER (5) OUTWEARS (8) ROSULATE (8)
OT: OESTRUAL (8) OUTSWEAR (8) OUTWALES (8)
Score: 81–61 (max 100)

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "well" and "goodly".

Round 12: P S I O D E U G N

Catriona: POISED (6)
Peter: DESIGN (6)
DC: UNPOISED (8) DEPOSING (8)
OT: POUNDIES (8)
Score: 87–67 (max 108)

Round 13: I U E I P L T R N

Catriona: TRIPLE (6)
Peter: TRIPLE (6)
DC: PUNTER (6) PITIER (6)
OT: PITURINE (8)
Score: 93–73 (max 116)

Round 14: 7, 7, 8, 4, 2, 5. Target: 319.

Catriona: -
Peter: 319. (4 x 8 x 2 x 5) - (7 / 7) (10)
Score: 93–83 (max 126)

Well, Peter can't pull this off, can he....??

Round 15: S I L V E R D Y E

Peter buzzes on 3.75 seconds to say DIVERSELY which is correct.
Score: 93–93 (max 136)

WOAH! WOAH!! WOAH!!! WHERE DID THIS COME FROM!!??

TIEBREAKER INCOMING!!!

Tiebreak conundrum: R U I N N N V E G

Catriona buzzes on 2.75 seconds to say UNNERVING which is correct.
Final Score: 103–93 (max 136)

Statistics Corner

Catriona:
Total score - 93 (103)
Raw score - 93 (103)
Total % of max - 68 (76)
Raw % of max - 68 (76)
Total average score per round - 6.2 (6.4)
Raw average score per round - 6.2 (6.4)
Number of maxes - 4 (5)

Peter:
Total score - 93 (93)
Raw score - 104 (104)
Total % of max - 68 (68)
Raw % of max - 76 (76)
Total average score per round - 6.2 (5.8)
Raw average score per round - 6.9 (6.5)
Number of maxes - 5 (5)

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=85

[Peter Allan]

Hi James,

Thanks for this - I've been waiting a wee while to see the breakdown of where it all went wrong !!

I have to say I was slightly gutted not to do better - to miss words like DEMOTING and DEPOSING is disappointing - I knew it wouldn't be the same in the studio, but to have come so close is pretty galling, although at least my comeback made it more exciting. In round 11 I did see OUTWEARS, but wasn't 100% sure about it, plus I thought OUTLAWS might be good enough to win it. If Catriona had declared first I might have gone for it.

The actual experience was odd as well - no audience, and no chance to meet any of the stars, or even the other contestants. I spent one hour in a dressing room on my own, then was wheeled out to the studio to sit on my own there. The panel arrive, and filming starts - there is no time to enjoy it really. I found the whole experience massively stressful, and didn't sleep properly for about a month after! The questioning from Anne was tricky, and I said a whole bunch of stupid things, most of which thankfully ended up on the cutting room floor. I did phone the producers after recording and ask that my part be reduced as much as possible, and I think they did a pretty good job. I also found it much harder to select letters. When I'm at home I am making words as I go, and know what I am hoping comes out, so by the end I know whether I want a vowel or consonant. But in the studio, my mind was completely blank - I found that I didn't even know how to speak properly!

Anyway, I've been a fan of the show since I was a teenager, and having thought about entering for years, a burst of lockdown madness (or was it a mid-life crisis) made me go for it, looking back I can say I am glad I did it, my mum enjoyed watching me on it, and at least I have the mug to show for it

Cheers,
Pete.

[Gavin Chipper]

On the wiki, it has Peter Allen. I assume that's a typo.