c4countdown

After 121 contestants, we’re down to the final 2. Whose name will be engraved on the Richard Whiteley Memorial Trophy?

Who are the contestants?

Dan Byrom v Matt O'Connor.

Well done Dan, great game and very well played both. Welcome to the elite group of series champions who fucked up a numbers game in the final but won anyway

Well done my son. Pretty pleased to beat them on two numbers rounds - 19*6*6 and 146-9

Great game. Really up and down and to win by 26 points to 23 or whatever it was shows how many points they took off each other.

Thomas Carey wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:55 pm Well done my son. Pretty pleased to beat them on two numbers rounds - 19*6*6 and 146-9

I did 684 the same as Dan's 682.

Thomas Carey wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:55 pm Well done my son. Pretty pleased to beat them on two numbers rounds - 19*6*6 and 146-9

Not obvious how to make the 146?

I used the standard method to 137 50+75+((100/25)x(9-6))

Very interesting game - well done to both!

Positively cooing after watching that, phenomenal final. Had it all. Both should be proud of that - best final i've ever witnessed.

Empaestic under pressure emparessive as hell

Last Series, the Grand Final was on my 24th Birthday. What a sheer coincidence that it's my brother's 17th birthday today on Friday, 17 June. I could have nearly missed watching this live because I was out running errands and if that happened, it would have been the first time since the Series 73 Grand Final in December 2015 in which I did not watch it in that manner. Luckily, I rushed back just in time and catch the action on the Daily Chat after the Second Teatime Teaser, not to mention watching the first two-thirds on my phone! This is also the second and last Grand Final that Anne Robinson presides as host, so I guess whoever wins today can get to brag about that achievement along with Ahmed Mohamed!

Letters: Matt gets a headstart with OCTOPINE in R1, but Dan doesn't let him get too far with OREGANO in R2 and matched the former's MEGARON.

Adam S Latchford wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 2:02 pm Empaestic under pressure emparessive as hell

Good grief as Judge Rinder said, it's in there as Dan deals a blow to Matt in R4! Unfortunately, the next round, routedly was disallowed and Matt catches up After the anecdote, Dan had a "trick" with EVANISH in R7 by adding the "E", but Matt had SUZERAIN in R8 to catch up! Then, the last third came and Matt had GOPURAM in R11. Alas, at the very end, with Dan having LESIONED in R13, he tried to risk lionweeds to beat him but tough luck, it wasn't in! Damn, the both of them having such a wide range of vocabulary, impressive all round, well done!

Numbers: Given this is the Grand Final, as expected, Dan goes for 6 Small. Matt misses it and Dan gains the lead now! Matt decides not to gamble for now with his usual 2 Large in R6, and it's too easy until Rachel doesn't write anything! R9 next and if you can spot 684 is 114 × 6 which is 19 × 6 × 6, then this is no problem for you. AHH!! Dan misdeclares, this is crazy and making all of us go bonkers! (Pfft Rachel, at least you were honest enough to admit that wasn't your method ) Finally, R14 comes, and Matt gambles but instead of the 6 Small we've been getting, it's now 4 Large! A change at last XD Dan must get this to steer clear of a Crucial Conundrum, it was an easy target but this is what happens when the pressure at the end to hold on gets to you and both miss it. Dan survives by matching Matt and becomes the Grand Champion of the Series!!!

Conundrum: Time for another non-crucial conundrum for a Grand Final (I know crucial conundrums make things exciting but for whoever wants to win, this is something they should avoid at all costs) and Matt gets it with a nice type of steak! I would have never seen the answer at all and blanked out. What a shame, because Matt would have won if the gap was close enough!

This game was always going to be close. I predicted Dan would edge out with a margin of less than 10 points with or without a crucial conundrum. In the end, the margin was at three points, identical to Dan's Semi-Final but without him having to face a crucial conundrum. I feel sorry for Matt, because like Luke Boynton a year ago, you waited so long to come back but did not manage to win the Grand Final, albeit yours was a much shorter time of 11 years excluding the Special which you were featured in. However, like the other finalists who have appeared in previous Series before this one, the fact that you made it this far, is an achievement of itself. You gave us an exciting run here with all your good spots today, heck you're just only one point shy of Dan if all the Finals matches were included, that says a lot! You gave us so many exciting moments by having the score margin go back and forth wildly! It is a shame your brilliant spots weren't enough to win, but having the runner-up position isn't bad at all I bet. All the best in your police work especially in your new team since this year, continue to keep your area and the UK crime-free and we salute you for all your efforts!

Ben Wilson wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:53 pm Welcome to the elite group of series champions who fucked up a numbers game in the final but won anyway

As for Dan, amazing work all round! We first knew you as a young audience member who solved a conundrum five years ago, then came on-screen again with the highest debuting score ever and beating Luke Johnson-Davies record back in 2020! You even had a chance to get 140 again less than a week later! You dodged a massive bullet like I mentioned days earlier with Ryan Carlsen, and nevermind that you screwed up in R9, the 6 Small rounds were more than enough to throw Matt off and this, along with your brilliant nine-letter spot were perhaps the key to your victory. It's a pity Susie Dent isn't here to witness you lifting the trophy, but the fact you had the opportunity to do so on-camera when Ahmed didn't is a delight to see once again! Congratulations and I hope you do secure a place in the next Championship of Champions as Rachel mentioned whenever that may be!

This is not the end for Anne Robinson just yet as she has still another 18 episodes before she bows out of the show. Speaking of which, Series 86 is starting on Monday, 20 June 2022. We know that Steven Etherington survived his sixth game and it was not broadcast for unknown reasons, but the important thing is that he's back! Can he survive two more games to become the first Octochamp of the new Series or will someone cut him short upon his return? Whatever happens, either Colin Murray or someone else will be presiding over the next Finals, we're heading for exciting times ahead so stick around!

Progress:
QF1 (09 June): Dan Byrom (#1) vs Craig Fawcett (#8) (106 - 27)
QF2 (10 June): Matt O'Connor (#2) vs Dan Hall (#7) (106 - 58)
QF3 (13 June): Steve Hyde (#3) vs Ronan Mackrory (#6) (106 - 83)
QF4 (14 June): Ryan Carlsen (#4) vs Adrian Fletcher (#5) (92 - 63)
SF1 (15 June): Dan Byrom (QF1 Winner) vs Ryan Carlsen (QF4 Winner) (97 - 94)
SF2 (16 June): Matt O'Connor (QF2 Winner) vs Steve Hyde (QF3 Winner) (117 - 77)
GF (17 June): Dan Byrom (SF1 Winner) vs Matt O'Connor (SF2 Winner) (81 - 78)

A French conundrum to end the final, very nice. Happens to not be on Ascension on Apterous either.

Many congratulations to Dan, terrific brakeaway in the first numbers game and with the 9-letter word which followed. Commiserations to Matt but well done nonetheless on an amazing run.

What a final, had everything! The slip up on R1, fantastic 9 and comeback from Matt. 2 great players, but congrats to Dan on winning the series. Remember you saying a few years ago you wanted to wait to apply until you had chance to improve and boy did it pay off!

Congratulations Dan, and well played Matt. Great final. I now know what SPACETIME^ is a falseagram for.

Stat of the day: today's episode is 11 years to the day since Matt's first appearance.

R14: ((50-(9-6))*75-100)/25.

Graeme Cole wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 9:44 pm Stat of the day: today's episode is 11 years to the day since Matt's first appearance.

Also a Friday 17th June.

An amazing back and forth final. Commiserations Matt, you played superbly, and many congratulations to Dan. Well deserved champion.

What a cracking final! Back and forth all the way. Huge congratulations Dan and commiserations Matt. Very well played both.

A very rare grand final beater with AGRONOME in R2.

R9 Alt.: ((4+1)*3*8-6)*6 = 684

Fucking amazing that game was, loved every bit of it. Big congrats to Dan and the biggest commiserations to Matt. Probably the best final I've seen.

R14 Alternative Solve: 6*25-9-(100/(75-50))

Tony Atkins wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:59 pm Not obvious how to make the 146?

It's a standard 4L trick - 146 is (50*75 - 100)/25

Great showing by you both, Congratulations to Dan for becoming series 85 champion, Commiserations to Matt, your octo-run was enjoyable and superb, series runner up is really good achievement, and something to be proud of.

Another stat: Byrom’s series total is 1,251 to O’Connor’s 1,250.

That has to be the absolute closest two player's runs have been.

r12: HARDFISH

Finally caught up to this episode. Very well played chaps, great final. Many congrats Dan on becoming series champ and well done Matt on being series runner-up